The Computational and Data Systems Institute (CDSI) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 BMO Responsible AI Fellowships. Congratulations to Kayleigh Christensen, Xiaoning (Pepper) Wang, Yiran (Jessica) Lin, and Kian Godhwani (clockwise from top-left), the newest cohort of BMO Responsible AI Senior Scholars.
Stewarded by the 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Collaborative for AI and Society (McCAIS)—CDSI's flagship strategic initiative—the BMO Responsible AI Fellowships support outstanding Master's and PhD students whose research advances the ethical and socially responsible development and application of artificial intelligence.
Powered by BMO Financial Group and open to students across all 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ faculties, the Fellowships foster interdisciplinary collaboration by supporting research that brings together diverse perspectives to address the opportunities and challenges of responsible AI.
Through this funding, the 2026 BMO Responsible AI Senior Scholars will advance their thesis research while contributing to 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ's growing interdisciplinary community of researchers driving responsible AI innovation and societal impact.
2026 BMO Responsible AI Senior Scholars
Kayleigh Christensen (Master’s student, Department of Geography, Faculty of Science)
Framing discourses on public participation in Responsible AI in the Canadian and Québécois governments
Christensen’s research examines the characterization of Responsible AI by the Canadian and Québécois governments as they attempt to leverage public participation to foster democratic legitimacy through a more equitable approach to AI
Kian Godhwani (Master’s student, Integrated Program in Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences)
Echoing Tides: A Machine Learning-Driven Video Game Platform for Assessing Psychosis Risk
Godhwani’s project measures hidden cognitive states linked to psychosis risk in vulnerable populations through Echoing Tides, an open-world video game.
Yiran (Jessica) Lin (PhD student, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education)
Balancing Autonomy and Support: Designing Responsible AI for Sustainable Teaching in Higher Education
Lin investigates how responsible AI can be designed to support university instructors while preserving their autonomy, promoting educator well-being and sustainable teaching in higher education.
Xiaoning (Pepper) Wang (PhD student, School of Information Studies, Faculty of Arts)
Navigating Personal Reflection and Self-Disclosure with Generative AI Chatbots in Later Life
Wang examines how older adults perceive and respond to overly agreeable or validating GenAI advice in interpersonal situations, and how conversational AI can support reflection without sacrificing appropriate emotional support.
Congratulations to the 2026 BMO Responsible AI Senior Scholars; we wish you every success as you pursue research that will help shape the future of responsible AI. For more information on the BMO Responsible AI Awards Program, click here.
