Media releases

• Learn how AI is shaping reality at public talk

  Tuesday, October 08, 2024 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE – October 8, 2024 – R0123

  Large language models (LLMs) are a powerful form of artificial intelligence (AI) that’s revolutionizing the way people interact with information.

  An upcoming public talk will explore the capabilities, limitations and ethical challenges of these AI technologies and examine their impact on truth and society in the digital age. Orange

  In Search of Truth: How large language models are shaping our reality (and how we are shaping theirs!) will take place Friday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Recital Hall in St. Catharines.

  The talk will be led by Brock University Assistant Professor of Computer Science Ali Emami, whose research explores various facets of LLMs and their impact on society. He will share stories and examples from his personal life and his academic work, and he aims to explain the mechanics behind LLMs in an easy-to-understand way. We

  LLMs synthesize vast amounts of data — which often includes web content — to generate responses to prompts, says Emami. Sometimes the output is “glaringly problematic,” while other times it is “impressively insightful.”

  “We can use LLMs to interrogate and probe for information, and while we think we’re probing a machine, we’re actually probing society,” he says. “LLMs act as mirrors, providing us a reflection of ourselves.”

  One area of Emami’s research examines how these models can be used to analyze content from different eras, text sources and cultures to potentially reveal historical biases and societal shifts. We

  “LLMs can act as a lens into present and past perceptions and attitudes,” he says. “This allows us to gain insights into different time periods, cultural perspectives and information sources in ways we couldn’t before. They can teach us valuable lessons about societal evolution and human diversity.”

  Additionally, Emami’s research addresses the misalignment between LLM outputs and human behaviours, working towards more accurate and ethical AI responses. He also investigates the positive applications of LLMs, such as creating diverse and personalized stories for readers from all backgrounds.

  “My research team is exploring how LLMs can be harnessed for societal benefit while also critically examining their limitations and potential risks,” he says.

  Emami’s talk is among several community engagements in which Brock University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Science has partnered with the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre to showcase topics in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

  “Informative public lectures, such as the talk Dr. Emami is leading, is one of many ways we’re making STEM more accessible to our local community,” says Peter Berg, Dean, Faculty of Mathematics and Science at Brock.

  “Artificial intelligence is a hot topic many people are curious about. It’s my hope people will leave the presentation with an appreciation for what AI can potentially achieve, but also what its limitations and biases might be,” he says.

  “We are thrilled to collaborate with Dr. Emami and Brock’s Faculty of Mathematics and Science to help deepen our collective understanding of LLMs and AI and their complex impacts on society and in people’s daily lives,” says Sara Palmieri, Director of Programming and Marketing at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. “Art and science often go hand in hand. Both artists and scientists look at the world from unique perspectives and seek to share their interpretations with others.”

  Tickets for the event are pay-what-you-can, with a suggested price of $20. Visit the FirstOntario Performing Arts website to learn more.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University sackles@brocku.ca or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases

• Brock research shows shifting relations between unions, political parties

  Monday, October 07, 2024 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: October 7, 2024 – R0122

  The recently “refashioned” relationships between unions, employers and governments have resulted in significant changes to the landscape of labour and politics in Canada, according to Professor Larry Savage in Brock University’s Department of Labour Studies.

  In Shifting Gears: Canadian Autoworkers and the Changing Landscape of Labour Politics, Savage and co-author Stephanie Ross, of McMaster University, trace a movement from “transformational activism to transactional politics” in the evolving political strategies of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) and Unifor.

  Savage says although the authors focus on Unifor, formed after the CAW merged with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers’ Union in 2013, the book’s “themes have implications for all unions and social movements looking to build collective power both in the workplace and at the ballot box.”

  The book’s release this fall is especially timely, he says, with several North American elections on the horizon and multiple parties simultaneously claiming to be “the true champion of workers’ rights.”

  “Given the shifting political and economic terrain, unions can’t afford to ignore parties and elections, or they risk losing at the ballot box what they secure at the bargaining table,” he says. “Moreover, because so much of what impacts workers’ lives – like housing affordability and climate justice – can’t be secured at the bargaining table, unions need to be politically active to influence government policy.”

  The book dives into how challenges faced by unions, such as deindustrialization or anti-labour restructuring, necessitate more adaptive political strategies.

  “Post-World War II autoworkers played a leading role in the fight for a more just and equitable society for all working-class people through collective action and a partisan electoral alliance with the New Democratic Party (NDP),” says Savage. “However, as the political and economic terrain shifted in ways that undermined union power, that class-based political strategy eventually gave way to a more independent and transactional brand of politics.”

  Savage adds the Niagara region was “an important site of struggle” largely because of the strong tradition of political action at Unifor Local 199, which represents workers at General Motors in St. Catharines.

  “Many Local 199 activists have run in federal and provincial elections as NDP candidates, including both Wayne Gates in Niagara Falls and Malcolm Allen in Welland who have gone on to serve as elected members,” he says. “The enduring party-union link in Niagara meant that many of the political shifts made by the national union in the past 40 years were resisted by Local 199. It’s an interesting dynamic, albeit one that has declined in importance over time.”

  On Friday, Oct. 11, Savage and Ross will appear in conversation with writer and podcaster Luke Savage at a free public book launch in St. Catharines. All are welcome to attend.

   

  What: Book discussion for Shifting Gears: Canadian Autoworkers and the Changing Landscape of Labour Politics

  Who: Co-authors Professor Larry Savage of Brock University and Associate Professor Stephanie Ross of McMaster University

  Where: Niagara Artists Centre, 354 St. Paul St. in St. Catharines

  When: Friday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.

   

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University sackles@brocku.ca or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases