Mark Hobbs is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fundmetric, a Halifax company that builds machine learning and data infrastructure for fundraising in charities and universities. He started it in 2013 and has co-authored peer-reviewed research on predicting donor behaviour with neural networks. Mark shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in December 2024, and returned to record a Season 1 expert insight interview in July 2026.
Mark Hobbs founded Fundmetric in Halifax in 2013 to answer a golden question for charities, non-profits, and institutions: which donors in their database are about to give, and why. The company builds the data infrastructure first and the machine learning on top of it, for nonprofits and universities across North America.
The research side is real and published. With Dr. Greg Lee, Fundmetric’s lead data scientist, and Preetham Veera Raghavan, he co-authored Machine Learning the Donor Journey, presented at the Canadian AI conference in 2020, and a follow-up applying convolutional and recurrent neural networks to the same problem in 2022. In 2021, Fundmetric joined what was then the CIO Strategy Council, now the Digital Governance Council, to work on Canadian AI standards.
Hobbs has contributed to CAIAI twice. He shared expert insights for our course material in December 2024, and he recorded a Season 1 expert insight interview in July 2026. Mark was one of our flagship experts who contributed to the Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course textbook.
“Understanding that there is a difference between outputs that are factually accurate versus coherent. Some AI will generate a different response when asked the same question. The variance is a concept known as “temperature”. User control of temperature is something users should be aware of when prompting generative AI.”
“I would also encourage adopters to look for disclosure of when and how generative AI is used without a human-in-the-loop to check for accuracy. Finally, I would encourage understanding the different types of AI such as generative versus machine learning, and finally a distinction between AI versus automation or programmed outcomes. This helps eliminate confusion and clarity for the wider audience interacting with AI.”
“The main role that transparency plays in maintaining ethical practices is trust. Trust is important not just for the users, consumers or wider audience but also within an organization between boards and the C-Suite, managers and staff. Too often transparency is seen as important only for the prevention of failure, but it can be a success-driver and this is especially true in a world navigating AI ethics.”
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence is the Canadian AI Advancement Institute’s full course and the foundation behind our beginner course offerings. This course spans five modules and is supported by the 16-chapter Introduction to Artificial Intelligence textbook, which guides you through the basics of AI ethics, AI security, machine learning, model training, prompt engineering, the practical applications of generative AI, and the customization of no-code AI tools.
This text is supported by educational experts from across Canada, the United States, and Europe, who share their AI insights to bring you relevant, valuable knowledge. This course was developed with their guidance and in consultation with public- and private-sector stakeholders.
Introduction to AI Ethics and Security is a short online course from the Canadian AI Advancement Institute for learners who may already be using AI tools or are AI-curious. It is especially helpful for those looking to implement AI without creating problems for their employer, clients, or themselves, and it takes under five hours on average.
Effective Prompting for Generative AI Models is a short online course from the Canadian AI Advancement Institute. It is a prompt engineering course for learners who want to implement generative tools in their daily workflows and are seeking strategies and tools to do so effectively.
In approximately five hours, you will have a basic understanding of the main AI models, a working knowledge of the available generative tools, and a set of prompting methods you can apply in your generative AI sessions.
Practical Applications and Customization Features of Generative AI Tools is an online generative AI course for beginners. It is a launchpad for learners putting generative tools into their daily workflows, in the workplace or in everyday life, and it is one of the most hands-on and practical courses in our beginner catalogue.
We are grateful for Mark’s contributions and value his stance on AI literacy as an opportunity, as well as the importance of AI ethics, security and positive outcomes in AI deployments.
Diane Gutiw is Vice-President and AI Research Center Lead in CGI’s Global AI Enablement Center of Expertise. She co-chairs the Government of Canada’s Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence, served on the federal AI Strategy Task Force behind AI for All, and holds a doctorate in medical information technology management. Diane shared her expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in August 2026, and we cite those insights in our AI literacy materials.
Mo Chen is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University, where he is principal investigator of the Multi-Agent Robotic Systems Lab and holds a Canada CIFAR AI Chair hosted at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute. He is a talented physical AI and robotics expert and co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Ma Robot Responsible AI, which builds navigation software for robots working in healthcare settings. Mo shared his expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in August 2026, and we cite those insights in our AI literacy materials.
Peggy Chooi is Director, IP Strategy at the Innovation Asset Collective, the federally funded not-for-profit that helps Canadian small and medium-sized businesses build intellectual property strategies. She is a talented data governance and privacy expert who entered the field as an intellectual property lawyer in private practice, advising companies on data protection and privacy through the early years of the e-commerce boom, and now leads the organization’s education work on IP, data, and privacy. Peggy shared her expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in July 2026, and we cite those insights in our AI literacy materials.
Mike McLean is the Chief Executive Officer of the Innovation Asset Collective, the not-for-profit funded by the federal government to help Canadian small and medium-sized businesses build intellectual property strategies that let them compete in global markets. He is a talented intellectual property and data commercialization expert who spent 25 years at TechInsights, the Ottawa-based semiconductor analysis firm, where the data the business generated became licensable products in their own right. Mike shared his expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in July 2026, and we cite those insights in our AI literacy materials.
Daryl Hatton is a Vancouver entrepreneur and the CEO of ConnectionPoint, the collaborative funding company behind the FundRazr, Crowdfundr, and CoCoPay platforms. He helped take an enterprise software company to a NASDAQ listing in 1999, rebuilt it after the dot-com crash, and sold it in 2008, the same year he founded FundRazr. Daryl shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in January 2025, and those insights are cited in our Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course and in our course on AI ethics and security.
Keith Jansa is the Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Governance Council, a Canadian organization whose standards guide the nation’s digital technology standards, including AI standards. He works with senior leaders across Canada on how to govern digital systems and ensure a safe, ethical and successful future for AI adoption in Canada and across the globe. Keith shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in September 2025, and returned to record a Season 1 expert insight interview.
Keenan Beavis is the founder of Longhouse Branding & Marketing, a Langley, British Columbia firm he started in 2017 and has since grown into a nationally recognized agency. He is a Métis entrepreneur, a co-author on search engine optimization, and the creator of AnswerMapping, a framework for getting a business recommended by AI answer engines. Keenan shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in September 2025, and those insights are cited in our Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course.
Kat Callaghan is a Canadian broadcaster and voice artist who has worked in radio since 2006, and she is the Digital Media Host of the Canadian AI Advancement Institute, where she conducts our Season 1 expert insight interviews. Her voice was used to train one of TikTok‘s text-to-speech models. Kat recorded a Season 1 expert insight interview with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in July 2026.
Jaxson Khan is a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, where he teaches a master’s course on AI policy and co-directs the AI Competitiveness Project; he is also the founder and chief executive of the strategy firm Aperture AI. He previously served as a senior policy advisor to Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. Jaxson recorded a Season 1 expert insight interview with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in July 2026.
Dr. Greg Lee is Lead Data Scientist at Fundmetric in Halifax, where he builds the machine learning systems behind the company’s charitable giving predictions, and an Associate Professor, currently on leave, in the Jodrey School of Computer Science at Acadia University. He is the lead author on the company’s published research. Greg recorded a Season 1 expert insight interview with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in July 2026.
Frincy Clement is an award-winning AI leader and an advocate for women in technology. She leads Women in AI across North America, has around a decade of experience across telecommunications, IT, and consumer goods, and works in AI governance with Standards Council Canada. Frincy shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in January 2025, and those insights are cited across many of our courses, including our Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course.
Derek Froese is the founder and President of Koala Technology Ltd., an IT consulting firm in Abbotsford, British Columbia, that has grown from IT support into digital adoption consulting, business automation, and AI. He works with clients across Canada, and much of his practice helps small and medium-sized businesses address their IT and automation needs. Derek shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in January 2025, and returned to record a Season 1 expert insight interview. In addition, Derek has supported the CAIAI in its ongoing engagements with UFV, including as a judge at the 2026 Community Ideation Jam (Changemaking with AI).
Mariami Tkeshelashvili is the Director for Artificial Intelligence Security Policy at the Institute for Security and Technology in Washington, where she leads the AI Risk Reduction Initiative. She brings over a decade of experience in international security and global governance, and has published research on AI compliance failures and on how policymakers might see an AI loss-of-control incident coming. Mariami shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in September 2025, and we cite those insights across many of our courses, including Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.
Atif Malik is the founder and Chief AI Officer of Zarori, an AI governance firm in Windsor, Ontario. He is a talented AI governance and security expert, contributing the subject-matter expertise behind a national standard for patient-visible and accountable AI in clinical decision support with the Digital Governance Standards Institute (DGC-DGSI). He has spent more than fifteen years advising healthcare, government, and enterprise clients on high-stakes technology. Atif recorded a Season 1 expert insight interview with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in May 2026.
Angelica Lim is an Associate Professor Practitioner in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University, where she directs the ROSIE Lab. Angelica is a Canada CIFAR AI Chair, focusing on robots and AI systems that read and respond to human social behaviour, an initiative she led with the emotion and expressivity teams behind the Pepper humanoid robot in France. Angelica recorded a Season 1 expert insight interview with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in July 2026.
Adina Gray is the founder of PurpleOwl AI, an AI training and consulting practice, and spent twenty years in post-secondary education before it. She taught for about fifteen years in the Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, where she served as an AI champion and thought leader, helping to shape and organize its AI summits. She speaks internationally on what AI means for teaching, learning, and work. Adina recorded a Season 1 expert insight interview with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in July 2026.
Tristan Taylor is the founder of the Canadian AI Advancement Institute and the International AI Advancement Institute, which he started to help people learn, adapt and succeed with AI, at home in Canada and internationally. He is based in Langley, British Columbia, and wrote CAIAI’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence textbook. Tristan recorded a Season 1 expert insight interview with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in May 2026.
Timothy King works with CyberSci, Canada’s national cyber security challenge, which runs regional and national competitions for college and university students across the country. He comes to it from the Information and Communications Technology Council, where, as an Education and Emerging Technologies Specialist, he built cyber and digital skills education nationally, and from the computer technology classroom he taught in from 2007 at Centre Wellington District High School in rural Ontario. Timothy recorded a Season 1 expert insight interview with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in May 2026.
Tiffany MacLennan is a higher education policy researcher at Boreal Education, a Canadian online program management company that helps institutions build distance, hybrid, and online programs. Previously, she was Senior Research Associate and Project Lead at Higher Education Strategy Associates, where she worked on institutional strategy, governance, and student success, and hosted and produced the firm’s higher education podcast. Tiffany recorded a Season 1 expert insight interview with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in June 2026.
Sireesha Chavali is a data engineer and AI safety advocate based in Edinburgh, Scotland, who works on data pipelines and conversational AI using Google BigQuery, Microsoft Azure, and Power Apps. She serves as Partnership Lead on the USA operations team at Women in AI, and teaches practical AI skills to professionals at MIT. Sireesha shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in September 2025, and we cite those insights in our Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course.
Revan MacQueen is a machine learning engineer at RL Core Technologies in Edmonton, where he builds reinforcement learning agents that control industrial processes. He holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Alberta, where he studied under James R. Wright; his research on self-play in multiplayer games was published at NeurIPS, and he has taught machine learning foundations at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute. Revan shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in September 2025, and returned to record a Season 1 expert insight interview.
Patrick Tammer leads Strategy and Operations in Google‘s AI and infrastructure group and previously served as a senior investment director at Scale AI, Canada’s AI global innovation cluster, where he invested in more than a hundred companies and AI implementation projects. He edits the Harvard/MIT Journal of Business and Artificial Intelligence and shares insights on his own platforms and in various outlets. Patrick shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in September 2025, and returned to record a Season 1 expert insight interview.
Matthew da Mota is Research Director, Emerging Technology and National Security at the Canadian Shield Institute, where he works on Canadian economic sovereignty, focusing on AI, defence, and dual-use technology. He previously ran the Global AI Risks Initiative at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. Matthew shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in October 2025, and we cite them across many of our courses, including Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.
