About Us
Vision
Mission
Values
Integrity
Empathy
Equity
Collaboration
Excellence
Responsibility
Why AIRI?
The mass adoption of generative AI systems has accelerated public interaction with artificial intelligence faster than public understanding. Millions of people now rely on AI for tasks ranging from learning and writing to decision support and creative production. Yet most users engage these systems without knowing how they work, where they’re limited, or what safe, ethical, or efficient use even looks like. Many organizations and small business owners are also caught up in this quagmire.
Our society was never onboarded.
While most AI initiatives focus on technical training such as teaching coding and so on (a component we also implement), an important demographic remains underserved: the non-technical majority actively using AI without guidance. This group includes professionals, educators, community leaders, small business owners, children & teens, seniors, youth, and new immigrants. They use AI tools daily, but often without understanding these systems and therefore not achieving their desired results from such interactions.
We see this huge gap as a systemic failure and one that risks expanding and reinforcing the existing digital inequity at scale. Despite the rapid adoption of AI, its literacy remains alarmingly low both globally and in Canada. Recent data from KPMG on June 25, 2025, reveals that:
- Globally, only 52% of people report moderate or high knowledge of AI, and less than 40% have received any form of AI training. Even among students, 58% lack sufficient AI knowledge and skills, and nearly half feel unprepared for an AI-enabled workforce.
- Canada ranks near the bottom among advanced economies for AI literacy: just 38% of Canadians report moderate or high AI knowledge (vs. 52% globally), and only 24% have received AI training. Less than half feel they can use AI effectively, and only 34% trust information from AI systems, well below the global average.
AIRI (Artificial Intelligence for Responsible Inclusion) Foundation is here to address these gaps. We strongly believe that because AI impacts everyone, everyone deserves to understand and use it better.
AIRI was founded after a series of global speaking engagements, extensive field observation, collaborative research, stakeholder consultations, and deep engagement with diverse user needs. We witnessed firsthand the disparity between AI access and AI understanding across regions, educational, personal and institutional levels. Thus, AIRI was created to make AI literacy and the productive, ethical use of AI a standard by designing high-impact programs that empower both technical and non-technical users to engage intelligently and in ways that mitigate bias when working with AI systems. We provide structured, solution-focused professional training that helps individuals and communities understand how to question, collaborate with, build and safely govern these systems.
Leadership
Sidney Shapiro
Frank Onuh
Janelle Marietta
Osasu Imarhiagbe
Ignatius Ezeani
Gurpreet Singh
James Yékú
Presley Ifukor
Sidney Shapiro
Dr. Sidney Shapiro is an Assistant Professor of Business Analytics at the Dhillon School of Business, University of Lethbridge, where he joined the faculty in 2023. He earned his PhD in Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies from Laurentian University, specializing in social network analytics. Prior to his academic appointment, he spent over a decade in data science leadership roles, including as a data science team manager in the occupational health and safety sector, where he led projects involving business intelligence, data engineering, machine learning, and automation.
His research focuses on the practical application of artificial intelligence in business and program evaluation, particularly examining AI adoption, data privacy, and the integration of analytic tools into decision-making processes. In the classroom, Dr. Shapiro teaches a range of data analytics courses covering data management, visualization, and applied modeling, aiming to equip future business analysts with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills.
Frank Onuh
Frank Onuh combines over a decade of leadership and R&D expertise in digital transformation and ethical technology with scholarship on information disorder among BIPOC communities. He is also a doctoral scholar whose research examines information verification practices in Africa to strengthen global verification infrastructures. Frank is a consistent voice in AI ethics and digital empowerment and has designed and led major cross-sectoral projects that span AI literacy and capacity building, including designing low-cost AI-powered auto systems. As part of this work, he developed the AI Bias Detection Canvas for Black, a structured framework for identifying and mitigating algorithmic inequities in academia and policy. Frank has facilitated digital training partnerships that help provide training to BIPOC professionals in the data science and AI fields across Canada.
Mr Onuh has worked across sectors to translate emerging technologies into accessible tools for both technical and non-technical communities. He serves on the boards of leading social impact organizations and advises organizational and national policy projects involving AI use while helping them develop rounded, AI-safe policy and use case frameworks.
Osasu Imarhiagbe
Osasu is a Computer Scientist, Machine Learning Engineer, and Artificial Intelligence Specialist working at the intersection of AI in health and security. He leverages advanced machine learning and deep learning techniques to build impactful, responsible AI systems. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Lethbridge, where his research focused on designing novel AI architectures in neuroscience to support radiologists and clinicians in the study of schizophrenia. His work has been presented at peer-reviewed conferences and has contributed to advancing precision medical imaging and multimodal integration in clinical diagnostics.
Osasu is deeply committed to democratizing AI and has a strong track record of using technology to drive inclusive, community-centered solutions. Aside being the co-founder of ALMA Network Solutions LTD, he founded ZAIR, a tech startup and has previously served as a specialist consultant, reviewer, and drafting member of the Nigeria Startup Act—an initiative enacted into law by the Nigerian presidency to protect the country’s tech ecosystem, nurture innovation, and support the funding of startups. Now active within Canada’s innovation landscape, he continues to champion responsible AI practices across sectors. As a member of the AIRI Foundation leadership, he brings a systems-thinking approach and a deep commitment to advancing equitable AI literacy, particularly among underserved populations.
