01
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
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 Responsible AI Governance Meets Real Impact
The Ottawa Responsible AI Summit (ORAIS 2026) is Canada's premier convening space for responsible AI practitioners, AI ethics experts, policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, responsible managers, civil society organizations, and everyday people. 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
01
200+Leaders Convened
02
5Sectors Represented
03
1Day of Impact
$ Successfully concluded — November 2025
[2025 Recap]
What Happened Last Year
A look back at ORAIS 2025 — the people, conversations, and moments that made it Canada's premier responsible AI convening.
Conference Themes
Responsible AI and Data Governance in Practice
02
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.
06
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.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau
“Creativity, Copyright, and AI: Governing Innovation in the Age of Algorithms”
Host: Anouk Bertner
- Speakers
- —Dr. Somto Mbelu, Founder and Program Lead, ORAH
- —Aneeta Bains, Senior Partner & Managing Client Partner, Government of Canada
- Speakers
- —The Hon. Jenna Sudds, P.C., M.P., Member of Parliament for Kanata and Parliamentary Secretary Kanata
- Speakers
- —David Rodas-Wright, Invest Ottawa
- —Karen Savoie, AI-Capable Ottawa
- —Chris Doré, ScarlettNova
- —Luc Lalande, Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre
- Speakers
- —Prof. Peter Lewis, Director, Mindful AI Research Institute, Canada Research Chair in Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence, Ontario Tech University
- Moderator
Anouk Bertner, Executive Director, Future of Good
Panelists- —Dr. Somto Mbelu
- —Judy Trinh, Senior National Correspondent, CTV National News
- —Prof. Christoph Brunner, Université Laval, Quebec
- —Ugochukwu Nkwocha, Founder and Academic Director, Transcend AI Academy
- Speakers
- —Dr. Somto Mbelu
- —Uzoamaka Mbelu
- —Dale Kehler
- Speakers
- —Chinelo Obidigbo, Event Coordinator, ORAiS 2026
- Speakers
- —Dale Kehler, Chair, ORAiS 2026 Planning Committee
- —Dr. Somto Mbelu, Founder and Program Lead, ORAH
Speakers
Voices Shaping AI Governance
More speakers to be announced
The Hon. Jenna Sudds, P.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Kanata, Parliamentary Secretary for Government Transformation, Procurement and Defence Procurement
Teresa D'Andrea
Assistant Deputy Minister, Enterprise Platform Services
Sonya Shorey
President and CEO, Invest Ottawa
Prof. Adegboyega Ojo
Canada Research Chair in Governance and Artificial Intelligence, Carleton University
Dr. Somto Mbelu
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Ontario Tech University · Founder, Ottawa Responsible AI Hub
Phaedra Boinodiris
Global Lead, IBM Consulting's Responsible AI Practice
Dale Kehler
Partner, Government of Canada, IBM Consulting
Prof. Peter Lewis
Director, Mindful AI Research Institute, Canada Research Chair in Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence, Ontario Tech University
Michael Ward
Client Partner, Defence and National Security, IBM Consulting
Prof. Jeremy Bradbury
Ontario Tech University · Director, Software Engineering & Education Research Lab (SEER Lab)
Niraj Bhargava
P.Eng, MBA, ICD.D — Co-founder, CEO and Executive Chair, NuEnergy.ai
Lynnsey Chartrand
Director of Indigenous Initiatives, Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
Dr. Kirsten Wright
Managing Director, Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation (WICI)
Charlie Cattran
Client Partner, IBM Consulting
Gina Soparlo
Senior Advisor for International Relations, Mitacs
Ray Townsend
Senior Partner Manager, Canadian Public Sector, Cohere
Dr. Ruth Bankey
Senior Advisor, AI and Business Intelligence, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
Mante Molepo
Founder and CEO, Mante Molepo Consulting
Dr. Sedef Akinli Kocak
Director, Applied AI Projects, Vector Institute
Dr. Rashaad Bhyat
Senior Clinical Leader, Canada Health Infoway
Nyranne Martin
Chief Operating Officer, The Royal
Dr. Shabnam Haghzare
National AI Lead, Mitacs
Shruti Mukherjee
Director, Compliance Risk and Governance, Global Vision
Prof. Christoph Brunner
Université Laval, Quebec
Anouk Bertner
Executive Director, Future of Good
Judy Trinh
Senior Correspondent, CTV National News
Julie Lavergne
Chief Strategy Officer, ScarlettNova
Karen Savoie
Founder & President, Savoie Faire Consulting | Creator & Lead, AI-Capable Ottawa
Ugochukwu Nkwocha
Founder and Academic Director, Transcend AI Academy
Heather Cayouette
AI Governance & Privacy Advisor, ScarlettNova
Dr. Cecilia Dones
Founder and Chief Data Officer, 3 Standard Deviations
Nadine Charron
Executive Director, Accessibility, Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology (AAACT) Program
Stephen Jackson
M.A.Sc. — CEO, Anishnabeg Outreach (AO)
Chris Doré
CEO, ScarlettNova
Luc Lalande
Innovator-in-Residence, Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre · Advisory Board Member, ORAH
Ugochukwu Okoye
PhD Candidate, Carleton University · Policy Lead, Ottawa Responsible AI Hub
Jesmine Onyeukwu
Founder & CEO, PeakPerfly
Prof. Ejemai Eboreime
Assistant Professor & Program Director, Masters of Clinical Psychiatry and Global Mental Health, Dalhousie University
Hammed Afenifere
Co-Founder and CEO, Oneremit
Meseret Haileyesus
Founder and CEO, The Canadian Centre for Women's Empowerment (CCFWE)
Representing voices from
Federal GovernmentAI ResearchHealth EquityCivil SocietyIndustryIndigenous Data SovereigntyPolicy & LawAcademia
Want to be notified when more speakers are announced?
Register your interest and we'll reach out as the full lineup grows.
Our Partners
Sponsors & Partners
ORAIS 2026 is made possible by the generous support of our partners, who share our commitment to building responsible AI ecosystems in Canada and beyond.
Lead Partner
Supporting Partners
