Vancouver AI Safety Roundtable

On August 16, Vancouver AI Safety Hub (VASH) brought together a group of people working across AI safety, governance, research, industry, policy, and community building for our first Vancouver AI Safety Roundtable.

The goal was to better understand what already exists in Vancouver, where the gaps are, and what kinds of infrastructure, collaboration, and support would be most useful to people doing this work.

We discussed questions around hub operating models and strategic priorities, research and career pathways, community involvement, funding, and the role a regional AI safety ecosystem could play.

One thing that came through clearly was that Vancouver already has a significant amount of relevant expertise, activity, and interest. The opportunity is not simply to grow the community, but to make it easier for those pieces to find one another, connect across disciplines and institutions, and turn into useful work.

The roundtable was convened by VASH co-founders Sana Shams, Krystal Pan, and Ibrahim Elchami. We're very grateful to everyone who joined us and shared their perspectives so openly.

The discussion gave us plenty to think about as we shape the next phase of VASH, particularly around what a regional hub can usefully provide and where VASH can add value. We look forward to sharing more as that work develops.