To keep up with the AI paradigm shift, the University of Waterloo and Google partnered up to explore AI’s role in education and career readiness. This million-dollar partnership included the Google Chair in the Future of Work and Learning, which was endowed to Computer Science Professor Edith Law. The research chair is part of Dr. Law’s broader initiative, the Future of Work Institute, which she leads as its inaugural Executive Director.
The Future of Work Institute launched the Futures Labs as one of its flagship activities. This bootcamp-style workshop exposes students to AI-related skills, such as prompt engineering, as well as Google’s suite of AI tools, including Gemini Canvas and Google AI Studio. Students also received exclusive talks and mentorship from Google staff, many of whom are Waterloo alumni. To cap off their learning, the students form interdisciplinary teams to create an AI-powered tool.
The workshop concluded with the “Google-UWaterloo Symposium on the Future of Learning,” held in late March at the Google campus in downtown Kitchener. Students presented their AI prototypes, which focused on tackling a unique learning challenge.