Dr. Alex Wong delivers keynote at EngCon 2023

This year's 2023 Engineering Conference, hosted by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) featured a keynote address by Dr. Alexander Wong, professor of Systems Design Engineering and Canada Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Medical Imaging.

Engineering experts and innovators gathered to hear Wong speak on the essential topics that are shaping the future of engineering, including the fundamentals of AI, its practical applications, and ethical considerations surrounding its uses. Wong provided valuable insight regarding the integration of AI with other emerging technologies and the technical challenges in AI development.

“AI is not going to go away,” said Wong, who is also the Canada research chair in AI and medical imaging, and chief scientist and co-founder of DarwinAI. “It’s a tool for us and we need to understand how to take advantage of it.”

Throughout the discussion, moderated by Dr. Sanjeev Gill, associate vice-president, innovation and executive director of WatSPEED, Wong explained the importance of understanding the inner workings of AI systems, addressing ethical concerns such as bias, privacy, transparency around algorithms, and the role of engineers in ensuring the development and deployment of responsible and trustworthy AI systems.

Engineers, Wong stressed, should be open to the evaluation and testing of AI systems because it will be essential for their development and responsible use in the future, especially as AI revolutionizes various aspects of the industry.

Wong’s contributions were not limited to his keynote presentation. He was celebrated by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers at their 2023 Awards Gala, where he received the Engineering Medal – Entrepreneurship.

This article is an excerpt from Exploring the impact of AI in engineering by WatSPEED