Would you like to adopt artificial intelligence strategically, ethically and responsibly within your organization?
The PACT Pathway (Parcours d’Accompagnement pour une Conduite Technologique responsable) is a research project funded through Obvia’s Thematic Intervention Projects Program - Chantiers d'interventions thématiques de l'Obvia.
Its objective is to support Quebec SMEs in identifying ethical issues related to AI and implementing concrete actions tailored to their organizational realities.
The project is led by Pierrich Plusquellec, Associate Professor at Université de Montréal and principal investigator.
Project Objectives
Through a series of participatory workshops, participating organizations will be able to:
- Assess their level of maturity in responsible AI;
- Identify the risks and ethical issues specific to their AI uses;
- Co-create realistic and prioritized courses of action;
- Develop a 12-month action plan;
- Leverage the Clar.IA conversational agent to support reflection and decision-making.
The PACT Pathway aims to transform ethical reflection into structured, concrete and measurable approaches. Identified by businesses themselves as a key need, this support will enable SMEs to assess their current practices, monitor their progress and operationalize ethical principles within their activities.
Each process will be documented to contribute to a repository of exemplary practices, supporting knowledge sharing, visibility and replication across Quebec.
Nature of Participation
Participation involves taking part in two participatory workshops focused on the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence within organizations.
The workshops will allow participants to:
- Identify ethical issues associated with AI uses;
- Collectively reflect on best practices;
- Develop action plans tailored to the context of participating organizations.
Duration and Locations
Participation in the project consists of two sessions: an initial awareness-building workshop focused on ethical and responsible AI issues, followed by a second session dedicated to consolidation and sector- and context-specific co-intelligence with participating organizations.
The workshops will take place in person in Montreal or online (via Zoom), depending on the preference of participating organizations. Participation generally takes place over a period of several weeks to a few months, depending on organizations’ availability to attend both sessions.
Participation in the Action IA 3.0 conference is included in the PACT Pathway as a final knowledge-sharing and dissemination activity, but remains voluntary. Participating organizations may also choose the level of visibility and dissemination associated with the results presented.
Voluntary Participation
Participation in this project is entirely voluntary. Participating organizations may withdraw from the project at any time without having to provide justification.
This project has been approved by the Research Ethics Board in Education and Psychology at Université de Montréal (CEREP) [Project No. CEREP-2025-7224].
Participation Details
Individuals and organizations interested in participating are invited to express their interest by completing the registration form available below.
Application deadline: Friday, June 5, 2026
For any additional questions, please contact Pierrich Plusquellec, principal investigator of the project.
