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Institutions & Accountability
Who governs the governors? Examining the institutional frameworks, regulatory bodies, and oversight mechanisms needed to hold AI systems accountable at scale.
2nd Annual · October 20–21, 2026
Ottawa Responsible AI Summit
Responsible AI and Data Governance in Practice: Institutions, Systems, and Impact
Bayview Yards, Invest Ottawa Campus, Ottawa, Canada
DAY 1 / OCT 20—The Summit Opening Reception — Creativity & AI — 5:30–8:30 PM
DAY 2 / OCT 21—Main Summit — Principles to Practice — 8:30 AM–6:00 PM
Lead Partner
IBM CANADA
Oct 20: Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa · Oct 21: Bayview Yards, Invest Ottawa Campus·
October 20–21, 2026·
200+ Leaders, Practitioners & Policymakers·
Oct 20: Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa · Oct 21: Bayview Yards, Invest Ottawa Campus·
October 20–21, 2026·
200+ Leaders, Practitioners & Policymakers·
Oct 20: Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa · Oct 21: Bayview Yards, Invest Ottawa Campus·
October 20–21, 2026·
200+ Leaders, Practitioners & Policymakers·
Oct 20: Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa · Oct 21: Bayview Yards, Invest Ottawa Campus·
October 20–21, 2026·
200+ Leaders, Practitioners & Policymakers·
About the Summit
Where Governance Meets Impact
The Ottawa Responsible AI Summit (ORAIS 2026) is Canada's premier convening space for AI governance practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and civil society leaders. Now in its second year, ORAIS brings together the people building the institutions, systems, and frameworks that determine how AI shapes our world. From national AI strategies to frontline health equity applications, ORAIS 2026 moves beyond principles to examine what responsible AI governance actually looks like in practice across sectors and scales.
200+
Registered attendees from government, academia, civil society & industry
2
Immersive days of programming, panels, workshops & networking
20+
Speakers and thought leaders across sectors and disciplines
1
Dedicated Summit Opening Reception celebrating AI creativity & innovation
[ARCHIVE]
Building on Last Year's
Foundation
ORAIS 2025 brought together over 200 leaders from across sectors to shape the future of responsible AI in Canada. This year, we continue the conversation with expanded scope and deeper collaboration.
GovernmentAcademiaIndustryCivil SocietyResearch Community
View ORAIS 2025 Archiveorais_2025_summary.log
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200+Leaders Convened
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5Sectors Represented
03
1Day of Impact
$ Successfully concluded — November 2025
Conference Themes
Data Governance in Practice
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Systems & Infrastructure
Technical governance in practice: data pipelines, audit trails, procurement standards, and the infrastructure decisions that embed values before deployment.
03
Impact & Equity
Who benefits and who is left behind? Centering affected communities in AI governance, with a focus on health equity, Indigenous data sovereignty, and the Global South.
04
Policy & Legislation
From AIDA to the EU AI Act — how national and international policy landscapes are evolving and what practitioners need to know to stay ahead.
05
Creativity & AI
Day 1 Opening Reception theme: exploring the intersection of generative AI, artistic expression, and intellectual property in a governance-informed context.
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Principles to Practice
Moving beyond frameworks — translating responsible AI principles into actionable organizational practices, procurement decisions, and product design.
Programme Overview
Two Days, One Mission
The 2026 programme is designed to move beyond high-level discussion toward applied, implementation-focused engagement. Across two days, participants will explore how responsible AI governance is operationalized within institutions and across sectors.
Day 1 · October 20
The Summit Opening Reception
Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
“Creativity, Copyright, and AI: Governing Innovation in the Age of Algorithms”
- —Moderated panel discussion
- —Curated networking reception
- —Interactive exhibits and installations
- —Community-focused engagement
Day 2 · October 21
Main Summit
Bayview Yards, Invest Ottawa, Ottawa Canada
8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
“From Principles to Practice: Implementing Responsible AI at Scale”
- —Opening plenary: State of AI governance in Canada
- —Ministerial address and policy update
- —Breakout sessions across all six conference themes
- —Workshop: Implementing data governance frameworks
- —Panel: Health equity and AI in the public sector
- —Practitioner roundtables and working groups
- —Closing address and action commitments
Speakers
20+ Voices Shaping AI Governance
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Full speaker lineup announced soon