Picture this: I’m standing at the ENYA Liftoff event, surrounded by tech enthusiasts, educators, and dreamers at the coolest conference venue in Vancouver… the Wosk Centre for Dialogue ’round room’. The air’s thick with anticipation, but it’s not the latest AI breakthrough that’s got everyone buzzing—it’s the people. As I take the stage, I’m struck by Enya Learning’s Executive Director Amin Sharifi‘s powerful land acknowledgment.
We can’t simply apply AI to our existing colonial systems and expect change. Instead, we need to rebuild from the ground up, creating AI-powered platforms that incorporate indigenous ways of knowing and respect diverse cultural learning styles. While AI can’t solve systemic issues like poverty or land theft, it can amplify indigenous voices globally. However, we must be vigilant against AI systems trained on biased datasets that perpetuate stereotypes.
It was a wake-up call, challenging everyone to consider how we’re supporting the communities whose land we’re on. This moment set the tone for everything I wanted to say, because here’s the thing—AI isn’t some mystical force that will save or doom us. It’s just a tool, albeit a powerful one, and it’s people who decide how to use it.
We’re at a crossroads, folks. The future we’re building with AI will be shaped by us—our choices, our ethics, our creativity. Looking out at the sea of faces, I see the real drivers of change: the kid using AI to translate sign language in real-time, the artist blending ancient calligraphy with cutting-edge GANs, the doctor using machine learning to catch cancer early.
This is the story I want to tell you—not about AI taking over the world, but about how we’re steering this technological juggernaut towards a future we actually want to live in. So buckle up, because we’re about to dive deep into the messy, beautiful, complicated world of humans and AI. It’s not always pretty, but I promise you this—it’s one hell of a ride.
Indigenous Perspectives and the Role of Technology
We’re living in a world built on colonial violence, and it’s still affecting indigenous communities today. Institutions like Simon Fraser University depend on colonial structures, and the trauma from recent atrocities like residential schools is still raw. As we rush into the world of AI and algorithms, we risk perpetuating these oppressive power structures.
The solution starts with intentional inclusion: we need indigenous coders, data scientists, and ethicists in the room when these technologies are developed. For non-indigenous allies, our role is to listen, amplify indigenous voices, and confront our own biases. Indigenous cultures hold wisdom our tech-obsessed world desperately needs. As we use AI to shape the future, we must look to the past, honoring the cultures colonialism tried to erase. The choice is ours: will we use AI to perpetuate oppression, or to build bridges and heal wounds? The stakes have never been higher.
Debunking AI Myths: More Than Deepfakes and Shenanigans
Let’s address the Bantha in the room: that Star Wars meme suggesting AI is just for deepfakes and not-safe-for-work shenanigans. While it’s funny, it highlights how misunderstood AI really is. People often think of AI as a toy or a tool for pranksters, but that’s like saying the internet is just for cat videos and conspiracy theories.
AI is revolutionizing industries, helping doctors diagnose diseases earlier, discovering new life-saving drugs, and transforming education with personalized learning. It’s tackling climate change, optimizing energy grids, and even changing how we create art. But it’s crucial to understand that AI isn’t doing this alone—it’s a powerful tool amplifying human capabilities, not replacing them.
AI is also being used in ways that should make us uncomfortable, like invasive facial recognition tech and biased algorithms. But these issues aren’t inherent to AI; they’re reflections of our societal flaws. We need a more nuanced conversation about AI, moving past fearmongering and hype to grapple with its profound impact on our future. I’ve seen AI help non-verbal kids communicate and preserve endangered languages.
These are the stories we should be telling—not just cautionary tales, but success stories of human ingenuity and compassion. AI is a reflection of us, amplifying our capabilities for good or ill. The more we understand it, the better we can harness its power to create the future we want. So next time you see a meme about AI shenanigans, laugh—but then consider how AI is changing the world behind the scenes. It’s far more interesting and important than any deepfake could ever be.
AI for Accessibility: Empowering Marginalized Communities
AI isn’t just about taking over the world—it’s opening up the world for people who’ve been shut out for far too long. Take Kevin Thomas I met who created an AI-powered ASL-to-English translation tool for his Deaf friend, bridging a centuries-old communication gap with open-source AI and sheer determination.
Or consider the AI-powered exoskeleton helping paralyzed individuals walk again, and AI tutors adapting in real-time to diverse learning styles. These aren’t just cool tech demos; they’re life-changing innovations. Projects like ENYA Liftoff are using AI and AR to create culturally responsive learning environments for immigrant students, showing that it’s not about technology for technology’s sake, but about breaking down barriers and creating opportunities.
However, we’ve got a long way to go. For every empowering AI project, there are many reinforcing existing inequalities. We need diverse voices not just using AI, but developing and shaping it to avoid perpetuating biases, like AI systems less accurate at detecting skin cancer in people with darker skin. But I’m hopeful because I’ve seen better. I’ve seen AI systems detecting diseases across all skin types, voice assistants understanding diverse accents, and education platforms celebrating cultural diversity.
This is the future I’m fighting for—where AI empowers everyone, allowing kids in wheelchairs to explore virtual museums, non-verbal individuals to communicate fluently, and refugees to access education. It’s happening now, in labs, classrooms, and bedrooms worldwide. We face big challenges, but every ASL translator or world-changing kid using AI makes me more optimistic. Remember, AI is just a tool. If we use it with empathy, creativity, and a commitment to justice, we can build a world that’s more accessible, equitable, and human for everyone. That’s the future I’m working towards, and I invite you all to join me.
Preserving Culture through Technology: Expanding Artistic Horizons
Contrary to fears about AI replacing human creativity, it’s actually giving artists new tools for expression. Take my friend Arshia Shoban, who’s using Generative Adversarial Networks to create new forms of Persian calligraphy, blending centuries-old tradition with cutting-edge tech. The AI isn’t replacing his vision; it’s amplifying it, allowing him to explore impossible forms.
This trend is happening across the arts—musicians creating new instruments, filmmakers bringing impossible scenes to life, poets collaborating with language models. While some argue AI-created art isn’t “real” or authentic, I say that’s nonsense. Art has always evolved with technology; AI is just the latest tool. Yes, there are concerns about copyright and artistic integrity, which is why I’m working on projects like training AI on my photography to create a digital signature. It’s about engaging proactively with the technology, shaping it to serve our needs.
The question is whether we’ll shape that change or let it shape us. I’m seeing artists dive in, using AI as an extension of their creativity. There are AI-powered installations preserving indigenous oral histories, bringing generations together. Teams are using AI to restore damaged recordings and complete unfinished musical scores, letting us hear centuries-old pieces for the first time. This isn’t about AI replacing culture—it’s about preserving, exploring, and expanding our cultural heritage.
Projects like ENYA Learning are crucial, using AI to amplify diverse cultural voices respectfully. So next time you hear AI will kill art, think of Arshia’s calligraphy, preserved oral histories, and resurrected music. Imagine what’s possible if we approach AI with curiosity and creativity. That’s where the magic happens—where we’ll find the art and culture of the future, honoring our past while embracing new possibilities. That’s the beautiful future I’m working towards.
Cross-Cultural Communication: Breaking Language Barriers
AI is revolutionizing cross-cultural communication in mind-blowing ways. Imagine an AI-powered avatar that allows me to speak Farsi—or dozens of other languages—without knowing a word. While not perfect, it’s breaking down barriers and creating connections between people who might never have communicated otherwise. This technology has enormous potential for education, diplomacy, and global understanding.
There’s a risk it could be used for deception or misinformation, which is why transparency is crucial. Beyond personal avatars, AI is being used for real-time translation in disaster zones and to preserve endangered languages. At ENYA Liftoff, I saw AI and AR being used to help immigrant students understand not just words, but cultural contexts of their new homes, creating a two-way street of cultural exchange.
We’re still grappling with bias in these systems, like AI models struggling with certain accents or translation engines perpetuating stereotypes. There’s also a bigger question: as we break down language barriers, what happens to linguistic diversity? While we can’t stop this technology’s development, we can shape its use. We need diverse voices from all cultures and backgrounds involved in shaping this technology to ensure we’re preserving the rich tapestry of human language and culture while breaking down barriers.
Imagine a world where language is no longer a barrier to education, healthcare, or opportunity, where ideas can be shared globally in real-time, and endangered languages are preserved as living, breathing forms of communication. It’s not going to be easy, but every time I see this technology in action—like a child using AI to talk to grandparents in a language they never learned—I get more hopeful. This isn’t just about technology; it’s about people, connection, and understanding. If we get it right, it could be the key to building a more empathetic, united world. That’s the future worth fighting for.
Ethical AI: Navigating Challenges and Responsibilities
Job loss is a major concern, but it’s not just about paychecks; it’s also an issue of identity. Our jobs are a big part of who we are, and AI is forcing us to grapple with a fundamental shift in how we see ourselves and contribute to society.
At a recent conference, I felt the tension as people expressed not just fear of unemployment, but fear of irrelevance. If AI does our work, who are we? What do we become? But remember, we’ve faced similar shifts before—the industrial and digital revolutions—and each time, we’ve reimagined our place in the world. Maybe this is an opportunity to redefine work and contribution, focusing on what makes us uniquely human: our creativity, empathy, and ability to connect.
Beyond job loss, we need to address the environmental and social costs of AI. Training massive AI models consumes enormous energy, creating carbon footprints rivaling small countries. Moreover, these models often reflect and potentially amplify human biases like racism and sexism. We can’t ignore these issues if we want AI to be a force for good.
We need to invest in green AI, responsible data practices, and diverse teams to spot and correct biases. AI isn’t inherently good or bad—it’s a tool whose impact depends on how we use it. It’s our responsibility to ensure AI is used ethically and benefits everyone, not just a privileged few. This is our challenge and our opportunity: to harness the power of AI while safeguarding our values, our environment, and our shared future.
AI for Creativity: Empowering Human Expression
AI is revolutionizing creativity, pushing the boundaries of human expression far beyond just number crunching and data analysis. Artists, musicians, and filmmakers are using AI as a tool to explore new creative realms, but it’s crucial to understand that AI isn’t creating on its own—it’s amplifying human creativity.
I’ve seen AI-generated art that’s jaw-dropping, machine learning-assisted music that gives you goosebumps, and films with AI-created visual effects that are mind-blowing. In every case, it’s not about AI taking over, but about opening up new possibilities and ways of seeing and creating. AI is becoming a powerful creative partner, not a replacement for human artists.
Let me share a personal example: I’ve been training AI models on my photography to create a digital alter ego that can generate new images in my style. Some might see this as AI replacing me, but I see it as a creative collaborator that helps me view my work in a new light, suggesting compositions and combinations I might never have considered.
Crucially, I’m still the one guiding the process, making creative decisions, and choosing which outputs to use. This is the key to understanding AI in creativity—it’s not about replacement, but collaboration. It’s a tool, incredibly powerful yes, but still just a tool that allows us to push our creativity further than ever before. AI in art isn’t the end of human creativity; it’s a new beginning, opening doors to unexplored realms of expression and imagination.
Conclusion: Humans WitMachines, Will Shape the Future
After all this talk about AI changing the world, revolutionizing industries, and reshaping our understanding of creativity, where do we, as humans, fit in? Here’s the bottom line: AI is just a tool. A powerful, world-changing tool, but still just a tool. Its impact depends entirely on how we choose to use it.
The future isn’t going to be shaped by AI, but by us—our choices, priorities, and the values we embed in our technologies. Will we use AI to break down barriers, empower marginalized communities, and create a more just world? Or will we let it perpetuate the same problems we’ve been fighting for centuries? This choice is ours, and we need to take it seriously. The decisions we make now, the systems and ethical frameworks we develop, will shape the world for generations to come.
Let’s bring it back to where we started—Amin’s powerful land acknowledgment at the ENYA Liftoff event. That wasn’t just a gesture; it was a call to action. We need to take the same approach with AI. It’s not enough to recognize its potential and pitfalls; we have to act, engage, and do the hard work of building an ethical, inclusive future that reflects the world we want to live in.
Just like the land acknowledgment, it’s about recognizing our responsibility to both the present and the future, understanding that our actions have consequences that will echo through time. So let’s make our choices count. Let’s build AI systems that amplify the best of humanity, not the worst. Let’s create technologies that bring us together, break down barriers, and give voice to the voiceless. Because that’s the future I want to live in, and I bet it’s the future you want too. The power to shape this future is in our hands—let’s use it wisely.
Join the Conversation
We’ve covered a lot of ground—AI in healthcare, education, art, and beyond. We’ve wrestled with ethical implications, potential pitfalls, and incredible possibilities. But this conversation isn’t over; it’s just beginning. If anything you’ve heard has sparked excitement, concern, or curiosity, keep that spark alive. Don’t let this be the end of the dialogue, but the beginning.
Join us at Future Proof Creatives or the Vancouver AI Community Meetups. Share your thoughts, fears, and hopes for the future. It’s going to take all of us—artists, programmers, ethicists, dreamers—to figure out how we can use AI to build a better world. These aren’t just events; they’re laboratories for the future, places where we can experiment, debate, and collaborate on shaping the world we want to live in.
Here’s your call to action: Connect with me on LinkedIn. Join our Discord community. Stay involved. The future isn’t something that just happens to us; it’s something we create together. Every idea you share, question you ask, and project you start contributes to shaping the future of AI and, by extension, the future of humanity.
Remember, AI is just a tool—a powerful one, yes, but still just a tool. It’s up to us to decide how to use it. So let’s make those decisions together. Let’s build a future we can all be proud of. The conversation starts now. Are you ready to join it? Your voice, your perspective, your involvement matters more than you might realize. Together, we can harness the power of AI to create a more inclusive, innovative, and equitable world. The future is in our hands—let’s shape it wisely and boldly.
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