Monday, October 30, 2023

Math Event will tackle risks of AI

By Melodie Roschman.

On November 2 the Faculty of Mathematics will host the second-ever Research Discovery Days, an event that showcases cutting-edge faculty and student research and facilitates partnerships with industry leaders and the larger community.

The event, which is sponsored by the Math Innovation Office, will focus on “Mitigating Risks of AI.” Keynotes, research presentations, and a panel discussion will all address the ethical dilemmas and security risks posed by artificial intelligence.

Within the last year, conversational AI systems like ChatGPT and text-to-image generators like Stable Diffusion have achieved widespread use. The rapid adoption of AI has creating concerns across multiple sectors regarding the risks of this brand-new technology. From the easy manipulation of sound and images to anxieties about people’s jobs being replaced by AI, many people are worried that they will be “left out of the future,” explains Charles Clarke, associate dean for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

“Researchers at Waterloo were part of the communities from which these techniques emerged,” Clarke says. “Our researchers understand these technologies and the risks they pose from many standpoints.”

Research Discovery Days will provide people with an opportunity to interact with these researchers. “While we can provide no easy answers, we hope to increase awareness of these risks, explore the limitations of these technologies, and anticipate possible solutions to the problems they will create,” he says.  

Three of these Waterloo researchers will be delivering keynotes. Legal expert and Research Professor Maura R. Grossman will discuss the ways in which AI is already being used in industry, and what tools are available to make AI trustworthy.

Florian Kerschbaum, the inaugural director of the Waterloo Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute, will discuss the requirements and definitions of reliable AI content labelling, and the limitations of watermarking.

Finally, Mei Nagappan, associate professor of Computer Science, will discuss how generative AI may impact the field of software engineering.

The event will also emphasize the importance of partnerships and will include spaces devoted to networking. “We are very excited to be hosting an industry-academic panel at this year’s event, which will highlight opportunities for collaboration in this important area of inquiry,” says Stephanie Whitney, director for Research & Innovation Partnerships. “Now more than ever, the intersections and interactions between theory and application are vital to ensure that AI develops in a responsible and socially beneficial manner.”

“Events like Research Discovery Days are important for building bridges between our researchers and the larger community,” says Mark Giesbrecht, dean of the Faculty of Mathematics. “We are proud to facilitate this important conversation about the unique challenges and opportunities posed by rapid developments in artificial intelligence.”

You can learn more about Research Discovery Days by visiting the event page.

Q and A with the experts: Pharmacists gain more prescribing power for minor ailments

Since January 2023, pharmacists across Ontario have been prescribing medications for 13 minor ailments. Nardine Nakhla, pharmacist and professor at the University of Waterloo, was a member of the advisory group that drafted regulations enabling this expansion in scope. Nakhla provides an update on the changing minor ailments landscape in Ontario.

How have the new regulations affected our health-care system, pharmacists and patients since minor ailments took effect this past January?  

According to the Ministry of Health data, 302,503 minor ailment assessments were performed from January 1 through June 30, 2023, resulting in 255,625 prescriptions. Eighty-seven percent (4,233) of all Ontario community pharmacies participated in prescribing for minor ailments, with at least one pharmacy in every Public Health Unit. The most assessed ailments were urinary tract infections, conjunctivitis, herpes labialis, allergic rhinitis, and dermatitis.

What new conditions will pharmacists be able to prescribe for?

• Mild acne
• Oral aphthae (canker sores)
• Diaper dermatitis (diaper rash)
• Vulvovaginal candidiasis (yeast infection)
• Pinworms and threadworms
• Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy

What medications will pharmacists be able to prescribe?

The Ontario College of Pharmacists has created a list of specific drugs that pharmacists may prescribe for each ailment. This complements the preview of the drug classes and specified drugs as they will appear under the amended regulations.

How will this further expand the scope of practice for pharmacists?

This expansion of prescriptive powers for pharmacists represents a significant step forward in enhancing access to patient care in the community by leveraging the knowledge and expertise of pharmacists. That means quality care sooner and closer to home by the most accessible healthcare providers with a reduced demand on hospitals, emergency departments, walk-in clinics, and family physicians.

What’s next for minor ailments?

At the Ontario College of Pharmacists’ September 19 meeting, the Board of Directors approved a list of minor ailments that were recommended by the Scope of Practice Advisory Group (SPAG) following a request for the Minister of Health to explore the addition of further conditions. This list will be sent to the Minister of Health for consideration later this fall, prior to the development of draft regulations, on the understanding that some ailments may be subject to conditions or restrictions to be determined. The list includes:

• Acute pharyngitis (sore throat)
• Birth control
• Calluses and corns
• Emergency contraception
• Erectile dysfunction
• Headache (mild)
• Herpes zoster (shingles)
• Minor sleep disorders (insomnia, could also include disturbances in circadian rhythm)
• Onychomycosis (fungal nail infections)
• Otitis externa (swimmers’ ear)
• Pediculosis (head lice)
• Rhinitis – viral (nasal congestion)
• Seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff)
• Tinea corporis (ringworm)
• Tinea cruris (jock itch)
• Verrucae (vulgaris, plantar) (warts)
• Xerophthalmia (dry eye)

Dr. Nakhla is a community pharmacist and academic with interest in minor ailments, self-care, and non-prescription medications. Since 2008, Dr. Nakhla has designed and delivered curricular content on the assessment of self-treating patients, common illnesses and self-medication using over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in both the lecture and practical laboratory setting. She has spoken at provincial, national and international meetings on these subjects, and has written a chapter for the Canadian Minor Ailments reference. In addition, Dr. Nakhla is a columnist for Pharmacy Practice+, blogging regularly about common and current issues related to OTC counselling.

Math Majors video series and other notes

The Faculty of Mathematics has launched a Math Majors video series, which aims to help prospective students and their families (and even non-Math-majors) understand precisely what it is the University’s mathematicians do – and how these skills are essential in a rapidly changing job market. The first video in the series profiles the unique major of “Mathematical Optimization,” offered by the department of Combinatorics and Optimization (C&O). Check it out!

The Department of Chemical Engineering and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology are partnering to organize a series of discourses on technology-based solutions to global challenges linked to UN Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable Future Perspectives Series: Circular Economies: Electronic and Electrochemical Devices will take place on Thursday, November 2, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in E7-7303/7363.

"The distinguished panel for this event comprises Komal Habib (SEED), Steven Young (SEED), Ting Tsui (Chemical Engineering), Michael Fowler (Chemical Engineerin), and Asmae Mokrini from the National Research Council (NRC).

Registration is required. Register in-person. Register for the online event. Refreshments will be provided.