Innies and Outies: Maintaining our Humanity During the Age of AI

Diversity and Inclusion Office | LLMC 2025 | FR

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm ET

Event Description

Join us for a thought-provoking Masterclass with Richard Sharpe as we examine how to keep our humanity at the forefront in an AI-driven world.

Our Masterclass Teacher will explore the ethical, cultural, and workplace challenges emerging alongside rapid technological change. You’ll gain practical strategies for fostering equity, inclusion, and respect while navigating the opportunities and risks of AI adoption.

Whether you’re working directly with technology, shaping policy, or leading teams, this session will provide clear guidance on how to adapt without losing the human values that drive trust, collaboration, and responsible decision-making.

Don’t miss this opportunity to better understand the role Federal Public Service and Defence Team members can play in ensuring AI serves the public good.

Masterclass Teacher - Richard Sharpe

Richard Sharpe has been a human rights advocate for 30 years, both at the community and institutional levels. Until the beginning of this year, he worked within the Canadian Federal Public Service, where he held several national positions representing employees as both a union representative and as a leader in employee-led organizations. In 2017 he co-founded the first Black employee network in the federal government, the Federal Black Employee Caucus, to tackle anti-Black racism in that institution. He held the position of Director of Equity, Anti-racism, Diversity and Inclusion at the Department of Justice Canada, where he spearheaded department and enterprise-wide initiatives to address long-standing discriminatory practices in the federal government. He is currently the Director of the Black Equity Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat in the Ontario Public Service.

At the community level, Richard was instrumental in forming the 613/819 National Capital Region Black Hub to bring together Black community members and organizations to collectively address anti-Black racism in areas such as education, policing, and mental health. He has also been involved in leading initiatives to realize the objectives of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (UNDPAD), including securing government support for Black Economic Inclusion initiatives and being prt of Black community efforts to create the National Institute for People of African Descent (NIPAD). In December 2022, he was part of the Canadian civil society delegation at the United Nations Permanent Forum for People of African Descent.

Richard has championed disaggregated socio-demographic data collection efforts at all levels and in all sectors. His work regionally and nationally is intended to improve the condition of Black and African diaspora communities in Canada. Richard is a sought-after speaker for his frank commentary on systemic racism, anti-black racism and allyship and for his concrete solutions for action and results. His opinion pieces have been published in the Ottawa Citizen and LinkedIn.

Richard is proud to be a child of immigrants of Jamaican ancestry and the eldest of six. His roles as father and partner are the two that he holds most dear.