Professor Edith Law will be the initial Google chairman in the future of work and learning. Professor Law is a reputed computer science professor and CEO of the University of Waterloos newly created future for the Working Institute, which is widely recognized for her groundbreaking contribution to promoting human-IA collaboration in the pursuit of improved creativity. She will work closely with students and researchers to create AI-facilitated learning technologies and to answer some of the basic questions that educational institutions face today: How can we best prepare students for jobs that are not yet found? How do we develop the learning experience to meet students where they are? How do we make sure students are ready for the workforce in an increasingly evolving world?
Learning by doing: Futures Lab Workshop
The midpoint of this partnership is Futures Lab: An AI Prototype workshop. This unique, practical learning laboratory is designed to get students actively involved in the development process. Interdisciplinary students Teams gather several times a year with the University of Waterloo faculty and Google Mentors to build new, AI-run learning prototypes with tools such as Gemini and AI Studio.
The first workshop, which starts on October 6, will cause students to develop cutting -edge prototypes and receive direct feedback when they tackle challenges at the intersection of learning and AI. This practical approach will help students think critically and imagine AI’s role in education and society. The experience culminates with a symposium where students show their projects and share their insight.
Our ongoing commitment to Waterloo
We have a history of working with the University of Waterloo, and this partnership reflects our common commitment to applying technology responsibly to promote learning. Together we created children on Campus, a program that brings class 4 classes to the university for a day of voice activities. Google has also provided funding for the University’s Women in Computer Science (WICS) program, and most recently we collaborated with the university’s Jimmy Lin data and Waterloo data and artificial intelligence institute to host a K-12 AI day for teachers.
The University of Waterloo is not only recognized as Canada’s top institution for computer science and AI, but one of the leading computer science programs in the world. In addition, Google’s Kitchener-Waterloo office is our largest technical hub in Canada, which contributes to the development of Google products, such as Google Cloud AI, Workspace and Android XR used worldwide.
The collaboration between Google’s expertise in artificial intelligence and the University of Waterloos prominent position in educational management is ready to provide transformative learning experiences. These initiatives are designed to tackle the critical challenges that confront teachers and students globally. We look forward to sharing research and ingenious prototypes that the learning laboratories produce as we help shape the future of work in Canada and all over the world.