New technologies are revolutionizing society, creating a 'techno-social collective' where humans and intelligent machines are deeply interconnected. While such advances present exciting opportunities, they also present significant risks, especially for vulnerable populations. Understanding and mitigating these risks will require a truly interdisciplinary team of researchers working together with industry, hospital, government, and community partners.
Based at York and Queen's Universities (Canada), the Connected Minds Program integrates three ‘pillars‘ of academic expertise (Society, Neuroscience & Behavior, Intelligent Technologies) and 50+ partner organizations , in order to 1) understand how the interplay of humans and intelligent technologies produces unexpected, emergent properties at the community/whole society levels, 2) predict how new technologies will disrupt our evolving techno-social collective, and 3) use these predictions to co-create new research and technology development.
We envision a world where breakthroughs in technology promote social health and justice for all, with special focus on the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. Supported by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), Connected Minds supports research and training programs, collaborations, and knowledge mobilization to create a global hub of critical transdisciplinary scholarship on the configuration of social power and systemic barriers that underpin advances in emerging technologies.