While kicking off day one of the mesh conference, co-producer Chris Hogg remarked that “mesh is about people on the move.”
This is the second mesh conference of 2023 after nearly a decade-long hiatus, with the first occurring in Calgary in April. All mesh events follow the same format: no formal presentations or pay-to-play panels. The result is unique conversations about transformation and innovation with animated, real-time discussions.
New and returning “meshies” filled the space, excited to take part in dialogues about how to interconnect business, media, technology, society, and marketing — and further, change how we think, organize, operate and behave in these spaces.
When digital policy is not revisited for decades, it’s important to prioritize the issues
Canada has been operating under the same privacy policy that was put in place in the early 2000s. Had we known the policy was going to be in place for nearly 25 years with little change, it would’ve been a different conversation, said Dr. Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa.
Geist came to mesh the day after testifying at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on Bill C-11, which will set out broadcasting policies in Canada. But Canadian news agencies are currently struggling with another barrier — since August 1, 2023, Meta platforms (namely, Facebook and Instagram) have banned sharing news in response to legislation demanding compensation for publishers.
The government thought that Google and Meta were stealing their news, but Geist says that wasn’t the case — it’s users that are sharing links and driving traffic.
“This legislation’s been pretty disastrous,” said Geist.
Now, smaller outlets that rely on their communities are feeling the pain with lost traffic, fewer publishing partners and decreased revenue with some websites even ceasing hiring or shutting down completely because they can’t afford to continue.
“We need to listen to everyone and I don’t think that’s happening,” he said. They were trying to help legacy companies, but they’ve now put independent media at risk.
Geist was also asked if Canada needs to move faster when defining digital policy. He called for more reflection and purposeful-thinking.
“On many of these issues, it is better to get it right than get it fast… There’s no first move advantage here,” he said.
The fact that public safety is at the heart of many of the issues complicates discussions as everyone thinks about how we provide appropriate safeguards, but also preserve the right to free speech. As some policy consultations will continue in 2024, Geist encourages those with something to say not to miss their opportunity to be heard.
“Don’t wait until it’s too late.”
Technology will be at the core of every business going forward
The second panel of the day was the mesh innovation showcase, which featured a mesh moment with recipient Christa Hill (Tacit Edge), Alicia Kalozdi MacMillan (mesh) and Amber Mac (AmberMac Media).
The initiative recognizes innovation and digital transformation leaders from under-represented communities across Canada. People are encouraged to nominate someone they know since they’re much less likely to put their own name forward.
“It’s not just for Apple. It’s not just for Google. It’s for you too,” notes Hill.
If you’re building a product for everyone, everyone should be involved
It’s long been acknowledged there is a gap in the tech industry when it comes to hiring women, particularly in non-entry level roles. So after repeatedly witnessing this shortcoming, Marissa McNeelands decided to co-found Toast, a talent agency focused on matching qualified women with technology positions.
Women make up about 60% of graduates of STEM programs, but only 23% of the STEM workforce in Canada. Moreover, women often leave the tech industry around age 36 because there’s little opportunity for career advancement since they have more difficulty obtaining the requirements for leadership positions.
To combat these issues, McNeelands advocates for mentorship and sponsorship. The burden of mentoring is often put on other women, but it’s just as important for men to mentor their women colleagues and sponsor them for promotions and leadership roles.
The data shows that a more balanced team generates better results as companies can no longer rely on a single line of thought or single experiences. But McNeelands notes, “If you want a more diverse workforce, you have to put work into it.”
AI is a co-pilot
It would be impossible to have a discussion about AI without talking about the risks — but the panel discussion “AI, Creativity, and Inclusivity: Empowering Tomorrow’s Marketing Leaders” was primarily focussed on the benefits and opportunities it presents.
Anne-Marie Enns from Global AI school Mia, hosted a casual conversation with Liberty White, CEO of CHOZEN MEDIA, Natalie Black, Mia, and Prieeyya Kaur Kesh, also of Mia. The panelists discussed applications of AI in marketing and skills training and one thing that was clear by the end: the human element of creation is still irreplaceable.
There are many one-dimensional tasks, noted Kaur Kesh, and AI allows you to be more strategic and bring more humanity to your work versus being process-driven. Even now, as generative AI becomes more creative with image and video generation, the user still has the final call. AI isn’t going to be aware of the cultural nuances you are, so the need for human input is not going away.
“Never use [AI] as a replacement, but as a supplement,” she says.
Echoing this, Black notes the AI reacquaints us with our love of language and pushes the boundaries of human creativity. The brands that apply AI to productivity and efficiency are going to lose the ones who focus on experience, she says.
Everyone now has access to the same design tools, so it’s leveling the playing field. Dismantling the system takes one step at a time, but Black says “you can’t dismantle it if you don’t know how it works.
The people who have been doing this for a long time are now using AI to reach the masses, said White. But there are discrepancies in how the data is being collected and used, so it’s important to look at who is being included. It’s not just about the data, but the data’s context, she says.
Innovation is not moving mountains
Innovation has become a buzzword, but it’s the idea of coming up with new ideas and commodifying those ideas, said Council of Canadian Innovators’ Dana O’Born. It’s problem-solving complex issues, adds Tracey Bodnarchuk, CEO of Canada Powered by Women.
Bodnarchuk’s organization surveyed women across Canada and their top priorities are:
- Economic prosperity and affordable lifestyle
- Energy security
- Climate emissions reductions.
“These are very polarized subjects, but that competitiveness comes right back to how we’re living,” she said. “People are done with the polarization of these issues – they expect government and industry to work together.”
And the fact that they’re not, means we don’t currently have we don’t have the compromise that’s necessary to be competitive.
But things are changing.
“Canadian tech businesses have squared their shoulders and presented themselves globally in a way they haven’t done before,” said Stuart MacDonald. Compared to the 1990s, he said tech businesses are in “a much better position.”
People are no longer moving to Silicon Valley after earning their degrees, but taking advantage of the resources available at home to create a business, make it global and attract talent from all over the world.
This has direct consequences for the Canadian economy. By growing big companies and generating domestic wealth, more taxes can be collected that can help pay for the social system, said O’Born.
Bodnarchuk agrees, noting we have to have a thriving industry to have a thriving social system.
How does bringing back the woolly mammoth help with climate change?
Colossal Biosciences is attempting the seemingly impossible: bringing back the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger and the dodo bird from extinction.
While this may seem like science fiction, Ben Lamm, Colossal’s co-founder and CEO, says they hope to piece together a de-extinction toolkit that can help conservationists.
By reviving extinct species, Lamm thinks they can help address the world’s current biodiversity crisis. If the crisis is left unaddressed, he says it could could lead to a loss of 50% of the world’s biodiversity by 2050.
The selection of these animals wasn’t arbitrary. They were chosen because they had the right answers to three key questions:
- Is it possible to resurrect this species?
- Would they serve a purpose in our current environment?
- Are their current ecosystems similar to before they went extinct?
Additionally, Lamm notes that they’re charismatic from a story perspective, making it easier to rally public support.
The result will be a more biodiverse ecosystem, while making the innovative technology available to other industries for other applications.
Synthetic biology is “probably the most powerful technology humanity has discovered,” said Lamm. “It’s akin to inventing computers and discovering fire.”
It can be massively applicable to real world problems, but there’s a “responsibility to take the right steps.”
“Lets crawl, walk, run here,”: he said. “Not open Pandora’s box.”
