Western professor Joanna Redden was awarded a competitive fellowship to further her work studying political and social justice implications of artificial intelligence (AI).
The Faculty of Information and Media Studies professor, co-director of the Starling Centre, is among the eight 2026 Dorothy Killam Fellowships.
Redden explores datafication - the process of turning everyday activities into data that can be collected, analyzed and used to inform decision-making - and the politics, governance and social justice implications of how it changes working practices. Much of her current research is focused on government use of AI, harm caused by data-driven processes and the importance of civic participation.
"We are seeing increasing uses of AI and automated decision-making systems across all areas of life. And while there is widespread and rapid deployment of AI, there is too little publicly available information about how these systems work and the consequences of their use," Redden said.
"The lack of transparency, accountability and public consultation matters."
Fellowship news 'mind-blowing'
The two-year Dorothy Killam Fellowships provide $80,000 each year to support "scholars of exceptional ability by granting them time to pursue research projects of broad significance and widespread interest."
Only five to eight fellowships are awarded each year.
Fellows must demonstrate commitment to building Canada's future with "ground-breaking, best-in-class research" that makes a big impact nationally or globally.
Redden follows Western neuroscientist Ryan Stevenson, who was previously awarded the Dorothy Killam Fellowship in 2024.
She said the honour provides "the gift of time."
"I'm lucky to work with incredible people here at FIMS and at Western, but to be given the gift of time to focus on research and race a little less is pretty mind-blowing," Redden said. "I was stunned silent when I first heard the news."
Mapping government use, harms of AI
The federal government has documented the use of more than 400 AI applications and provincial and municipal government agencies are also increasing their use of these systems, Redden said.
"There are too few protections or mechanisms to ensure redress when harm occurs. The same goes for organizational and institutional processes. We need to ensure there is preemptive investigation and enforcement to prevent and respond to harm in connection with government or company-driven applications" Redden said.
Ultimately, Redden hopes her work will strengthen the governance of technology use. Through her fellowship, she'll work with advocates, community organizers, researchers and policy-makers to try to increase accountability and civic participation in important decisions around AI.
"There is too little meaningful public consultation about how AI should be used, and not enough action to build the kinds of protections people are saying they want," Redden said.
"I am lucky to work with an incredible community of researchers and civil society organizations to address these longstanding issues."
