Vancouver AI Safety Mixer

On the afternoon of August 16, we hosted our first Vancouver AI Safety Mixer. It was an opportunity for people across Vancouver's AI safety community to meet, exchange ideas, and learn what others are working on. 💛

We were pleased to welcome five speakers for a lightning talk session: Ibrahim (Brian) Elchami, Dirk Haupt, Joshua Peng, Sherif Salem, and Sara Holt. The talks covered a wide range of perspectives, including public attitudes toward AI safety, the role of art and reflection, debates around AI optimism, gaps in AI governance in healthcare, and risks arising from advanced multi-agent systems.

During the breakout discussions, people moved between conversations, met others working on adjacent problems, and connected with people in Vancouver they might not otherwise have crossed paths with.

For VASH, community is the foundation of a regional hub. A local ecosystem becomes more useful when people can see who else is here, understand what they are working on, and find opportunities to learn from or work with one another.

Thank you to our speakers and to everyone who joined us, brought a question, shared what you were working on, or introduced yourself to someone new.

It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, and a small glimpse of what we hope to build more of in Vancouver. 🌱

We hope to see many of you at future VASH events!