1C1. AI-Induced Anxiety: Hope Driven vis-à-vis Fear Driven

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how we work, learn, and make decisions. While the first few years of AI use have brought tremendous hope (e.g., promise of innovation, work efficiency, and transformation), it has also sparked widespread anxiety at individual, professional and/or social levels, stimulated by algorithmic opacity, job displacement, lack of clarity in ethical boundaries, and the future of human agency. This panel discussion brings together experts from diverse fields, including academia, consultancy and federal program evaluation to explore the emotional and practical dimensions of AI-induced anxiety.

Panellists will share personal and professional experiences from the hope-driven or fear-driven perspectives on AI integration, highlighting both the disruptions and the hopeful possibilities it presents. The conversation will examine how different professional sectors are coping with or responding to AI’s challenges, from managing workforce transitions to ensuring ethical implementation and maintaining public trust.

Presenters:

MODERATOR: Ajoy Bista, Evaluation Manager, Natural Resources Canada

Marie-Philippe Lemoine, Evaluation Manager, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Marie-Philippe Lemoine is a credentialed evaluator at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She is a co-host of the Generative AI for evaluation Share and Learn community and perpetually oscillates between curious enthusiasm and deep scepticism on AI. She lives in Montreal and previously worked at La Maison de l’innovation sociale (la MIS) and with the private consulting firm Goss Gilroy Inc. She is partial to cookies, speculative fiction and unaided stargazing.

Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, Professor, of Journalism, Communication and Mass Media, University of Ottawa
Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, PhD, is a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa’s Department of Communication, specializing in media ethics, journalism, and digital technologies. His recent academic work explores the intersection of Generative AI (GenAI) and journalism, focusing on ethical implications, professional standards, and newsroom transformations. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses such as Generative AI in Journalism, Media Ethics, and Theories and Effects of the Media. Dr. Acharya has delivered guest lectures and keynote talks globally, including sessions on AI and Journalism Ethics at Moscow State University (Russia, 2023), Impact & Use of AI in Journalism (MAHE, India, 2024), Role of AI and Social Media in Diaspora Journalism (NEAJA, USA, 2024) and the Center for Media Research Nepal (2025). His forthcoming edited volume with Palgrave Macmillan, Generative AI in Journalism: Practices, Challenges, and Future Directions, gathers cutting-edge research on AI’s role in journalism. Through webinars, academic papers, and teaching, he continues to advance critical dialogue on the ethical use of GenAI in media production, education, and governance.

Brian Case, Research Associate, PRA Inc.
Brian Case is a Research Associate at PRA Inc. with evaluation experience in the public, non-profit, and private sectors. Brian is also serving as Past President of the CES National Capital Chapter. The ethical and transparent use of AI is a top priority for Brian when approaching research and evaluation projects. To date, Brian has used AI in various contexts, such as gaining an understanding of the background and history of programs and policies, developing lists of key texts for literature reviews, exploring applied research approaches for evaluation and economic analyses, generating summary analyses of documents and data, creating interview transcripts, developing formulas and code for tool development, and mixing and mastering music. While the range of possibilities with AI appears endless, the gaps and threats that AI persistently presents suggest limits to its power and trustworthiness, helping quell the fears around job security and the end of human input in the social sciences.

Marc Goldfinger, Senior Advisor at the Office of the Chief Information Officer of Canada, within the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat,
Marc Goldfinger is a Senior Advisor at the Office of the Chief Information Officer of Canada, within the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. With a focus on AI policy, Marc is dedicated to advancing the adoption of artificial intelligence in the public service to enhance service delivery for Canadians. His background in privacy policy fuels his keen interest in the intersection of AI and personal data, ensuring ethical and responsible AI integration. Passionate about leveraging technology for public good, Marc is committed to driving innovation while safeguarding privacy and trust.