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Ontario Creates AI Forum: Unlocking the Creative Future

Schedule

8:30amRegistration Opens, Breakfast
9:15amWelcome Remarks – Karen Thorne-Stone
9:25amKeynote: Copyright is dead. Long live copyright! (The promises of AI vs. those pesky rights.)

Erin Finlay, Partner, Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Heim Finlay LLP

Generative AI and other “disruptive” technologies often butt up against how we create, disseminate, and consume creative works. The debate isn’t new, but the technology feels bigger than anything we’ve seen before.

AI and copyright are certainly having their moment. Governments are consulting, holding hearings, encouraging voluntary codes, and passing legislation. Market solutions are starting to take hold. And the lawsuits are well underway.

But, is this really new battleground? And will copyright prevail? (Also, should it prevail?)

Keynote speaker Erin Finlay will examine whether copyright is well-equipped to handle the explosion of Generative AI and its impact on the books and magazines we write and publish, the music we compose and release, the games we design, and the movies and television shows we write, direct, and produce. Taking cues from the past and making predictions for the future, this keynote address will form the basis of a lively debate and discussion for the day that follows.

10:10amBREAK
10:20amRoundtable Discussion: AI in Practice

What kind of strategies, investments, and initiatives is your sector implementing to use generative AI in operations and content creation? Where do you see potential to use AI in your business? Are you experiencing challenges or barriers?

10:50amCreative Blitz: AI Workflows for Game Development

Rob Elsworthy, Founder of Resistr Interactive,
Program Director at Toronto Film School

AI offers game developers advancements on both the creative process and the technical workflow pipeline. See the process and results, and reflect on how the speed of Generative AI technology is defining future workforce opportunities.

11:10amBREAK
11:25amRoundtable Discussion: AI in the Future

How do you anticipate that generative AI will influence your company in the next five years (think about: ethics, workflow, workforce, other business models)? What does your sector need to prepare for the future (think about: tools, training, policies)?

11:55amCreative Blitz: AI-generated Music and the Future of Artistic Innovation

Josh Pothier, Director, Kingsway Music Library

In 2022, Ging, f.k.a. Frank Dukes, the producer behind hits for The Weeknd, Post Malone, Camila Cabello created a generative music and art collection called “The Ghost of Frank Dukes" featuring visual and audio work generated by an AI-model he created to mirror his own artistic decisions and process and using his expansive archive of music. Josh Pothier, Director of GING’s Kingsway Music Library, will speak about his experience working on the ‘Ghost of Frank Dukes’ project, using AI as a tool, the growing amount of AI-generated music, and the future of artistic innovation in this environment.

12:15pmWrap-up Remarks, Roving Reporter

Diane Davy, Executive Director, Work in Culture

12:25pmCreative Blitz: AI Efficiency Takeaways

Alan MacDonald, Chief Operating Officer, Chief AI Officer
Diamond Marketing Group

Discover the transformative power of AI in this focused 20-minute session with Alan, where cutting-edge meet practicality. As an expert in AI productivity, Alan will unveil innovative tools that redefine efficiency, from generating dynamic training videos with synthesized voices to a smart expense auditing assistant that streamlines financial processes. Witness firsthand how AI can revolutionize your workplace routine, optimizing tasks that range from drafting job listings to crafting the perfect interview question—all with a touch of AI brilliance.

12:50pmLunch & Networking
1:30pmEvent Ends

Speaker Bios


Erin Finlay
Erin is a partner with Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Heim Finlay LLP where she practises in the areas of entertainment law, copyright, privacy, broadcast regulatory and cultural policy. She provides a wide range of legal services and strategic direction to producers, artists, musicians, authors, publishers, trade associations, copyright collectives and cultural businesses in the development, production, exploitation and protection of film, television, publishing, music and digital media projects. 

Erin has led the negotiation, drafting, and enforcement of multi-party collective licences, directed complex copyright tariff and CRTC broadcast regulatory and policy proceedings, and has appeared numerous times before the Copyright Board of Canada, the CRTC, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada and the House of Commons Standing Committees on Canadian Heritage and Industry Canada, as well as the Senate of Canada. Her expertise spans a range of legal, policy and government relations experience in the music, film and television production and publishing industries. Before joining the firm, Erin was the Chief Legal Officer at the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), General Counsel and Director of Government Relations at Access Copyright, and an associate practising in the entertainment law group at Cassels Brock. With more than 15 years’ experience as both in-house counsel and in private practice, she brings a practical perspective to resolving complex issues and advocating for her clients in Canada’s creative industries.

Erin has deep roots in and passion for the creative industries as a singer and musician and she recently performed on the Grammy- and Juno-nominated Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s recording of Handel’s Messiah.

Rob Elsworthy
Rob Elsworthy is a highly accomplished professional in the media industry, with an impressive career spanning two decades. With over 15 years of experience in the Games industry, he has worked on a variety of acclaimed projects, including Metal Gear Solid, Max Payne, Grand Theft Auto, and Red Dead Redemption, bringing his expertise as an Animator, VFX Artist, Director and Game Designer. 

With a mission to promote diversity and social awareness in the gaming industry, Rob founded his own videogame company, Resistr Interactive. Additionally, he currently serves as the Program Director for Video Game Design and Animation at Toronto Film School.

Beyond his professional work, Rob's dedication to inspiring the next generation of game creators is evident in his role as a speaker, panelist, and advisory board member for various workshops and events, including Tedx, Interactive Ontario, CODEX and the Black Youth Design Initiative. Through his involvement, he seeks to empower aspiring game creators to pursue their dreams and drive positive change in the industry.

Josh Pothier
After a decade spent as a session & touring drummer on the East Coast, Pothier pivoted to the music industry to work in artist management in 2013.

Alongside his mentor, Industry veteran Sandy Pandya, Pothier first worked with critically acclaimed artists like Serena Ryder and Alejandra Ribera, and music producers like Grammy-winning, multi-platinum producer Doc McKinney (The Weeknd, Drake, M.I.A.) and platinum producer Mike Sonier (Noah Cyrus, Maggie Rogers, Julia Michaels). 

In 2016 he became involved with the Kingsway Music Library, founded by Grammy-winning, multi-platinum artist and producer Ging (p.k.a. Frank Dukes). First working in a consulting capacity, he was named Director in 2019 to oversee its continued growth and expansion. Since then, Pothier has built the Kingsway Music Library steadily to a catalog of over 2500 masters with over seventy-five contributing producers, resulting in hundreds of licenses and new copyrights a year.
Diane Davy
Diane Davy is the President of Castledale, a consulting company specializing in the business of the cultural sector. Her areas of expertise include strategic business planning, corporate structure and management, revenue generation, board governance, and other related topics.

Davy also serves as the part-time Executive Director of WorkInCulture, a not-for-profit organization that support the professional lives of artists, creatives and cultural workers, and the organizations that support and engage them, through business and entrepreneurial skills training, research and career resources for the creative community.
Alan MacDonald
Alan MacDonald is a seasoned executive with decades of experience, including significant tenure in VP/SVP and C-level roles, specializing in digital marketing, AI integration, and enhancing customer experiences. Alan’s career is characterized by a commitment to technological innovation, developing advanced, data-driven solutions that transform business outcomes and enrich customer engagement.

As an executive, Alan has excelled in navigating complex business landscapes, driving operational efficiency, and ensuring financial robustness. His approach combines strategic foresight with a deep understanding of market dynamics, consistently delivering ambitious financial goals. See more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/al...