After several months of working from our sofa/home office/kitchen table/storage/furnace room, many of us have longed for the opportunity to be in the same room as our friends and colleagues.

That’s something that the organizers of the recent AI4Good Lab Industry Night were able to recreate – albeit in a virtual world – thanks to personalized avatars, virtual meeting rooms and real-time chats. 

The purpose of the event was to give the all-women students of the AI4Good Lab a stronger sense of research groups and companies that work in the AI space and an array of initiatives that they can get involved in. It also gave the partners an opportunity to provide more detailed information about themselves. 

RBC Borealis’s all-female team, along with other partners, including CIFAR, IVADO, Amii, DeepMind and Accenture among others, participated in the AI4Good industry event, chatting with delegates about internships, fellowships, and offering advice on how to navigate the job market in the AI space. The team shared their thoughts on a wide range of topical issues, including ethical AI.  They also provided information about AI research and products at RBC Borealis as well as various internship and job opportunities with the team.  

The AI4Good team prepared avatars for everyone, using photos of the participants. The delegates were able to virtually walk and stand with each other while they chatted. RBC Borealis’s room, designed by visual designer, April Cooper, brought some nature and light to the room with the addition of a virtual tree! 

Thanks to Maya Marcus-Sells, Executive Director of AI4Good Lab, and her colleague, Yosra Kazemi, for pulling the industry Night together and giving us a much-needed chance to chat and further build the women in AI community. 

If you would like a peek inside this year’s virtual Industry Night, a tour of the 3D booths, a look at Maya’s, Eirene’s, and April’s avatars enjoying the virtual shadow of the RBC Borealis tree, or just want to virtually “feel” and “smell” the breeze though the branches of the RBC Borealis tree, we’ve got you covered! 

Click on the gallery below to see pics from the event.

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