Keynote speaker

Joël Blit, professor, economics, University of Waterloo

Joël Blit is a professor of economics at the University of Waterloo, a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, a member of the governing council of the National Research Council of Canada and the co-founder and co-director of the Canadian AI Adoption Initiative. Prior to joining the University of Waterloo, Blit was a professor of economics and international affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

He’s a leading expert on innovation policy and strategy, studying the impact of foreign direct investment, intellectual property and skilled immigration on innovation. His work on artificial intelligence, automation and the future of work has been featured in numerous national and international media outlets including tthe Globe and Mail, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and the Economist.

Blit leverages his expertise to advise industry leaders and policy-makers on the transformative potential of AI. He has advised chief executive officers, deputy ministers and G7 representatives, among others. His innovative framework for thinking about technological disruption was adopted by a multi-billion-dollar financial firm as the foundation of its AI strategy. A sought-after speaker, facilitator, consultant and expert witness, Blit regularly delivers compelling talks, productive workshops, valuable consulting services and expert testimony for global organizations.