BlackBerry Supports Canada’s New Voluntary Code of Conduct for Generative AI Development

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE / 09.28.23 / Neelam Sandhu

As a world leader in artificial intelligence (AI) for cybersecurity, and a proud Canadian company, BlackBerry is pleased to be among the first signatories to Canada's landmark Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems.

This new code of conduct, introduced by the Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, identifies measures that organizations should apply when developing and managing general-purpose generative AI systems.

BlackBerry, which holds numerous patents related to multiple forms and uses of AI — including generative AI — as a basis for our many pioneering cybersecurity innovations, is a strong proponent of these new measures advocated by the Canadian government. The new generative AI code of conduct includes specific guidelines in the areas of accountability, safety, fairness and equity, transparency, human oversight and monitoring, and validity and robustness.

New products like ChatGPT and others have opened up numerous new avenues for generative AI this year, leading to an initial “hype cycle” in which many established cybersecurity companies and startups sought to participate. However, BlackBerry has taken a more sustainable approach, by developing new capabilities based on enterprise-grade generative AI models, as opposed to consumer-grade models that are prone to data leakage and privacy violations. We are focused on AI that delivers substance over hype, which is reflected in our AI portfolio being one of the highest performing and most resilient in the cybersecurity market.

BlackBerry remains committed to the core tenets that have guided us since our founding in Waterloo, Ontario, nearly 40 years ago. These include ironclad commitments to fairness, transparency, and being accountable to our users for upholding their rights to privacy and the undisputed ownership of their own data. These commitments serve as the foundation of trust in the digital arena. It’s also why BlackBerry has been recognized formally by the Government of Canada as a benchmark for trusted technology.

We congratulate Minister Champagne for spearheading this important effort that will keep Canada at the forefront of AI innovations. We at BlackBerry believe that in order to ensure that advances in AI and other important technologies are resilient, they must be secure and private. This new voluntary code of conduct is a significant step forward in achieving that, and ultimately unlocking the rich benefits that these technologies can deliver.

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About Neelam Sandhu

Neelam Sandhu is Chief Elite Customer Success Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, at BlackBerry, reporting to the CEO. As Chief Elite Customer Success Officer she leads the strategic relationships, sales, and co-sell, and customer success, including strategic product engineering, with BlackBerry’s top customers and top target customers, driving them to gain long-term competitive advantages by leveraging the breadth and depth of the BlackBerry platform. As Chief Marketing Officer she leads marketing across channels, including public relations, social media, editorial content, branding, advertising, web, and corporate events.

Neelam is also Head of Sustainability, responsible for corporate sustainability, at BlackBerry, and has delivered the company’s inaugural ESG report and its carbon neutral status. Additionally, she assists the CEO on some operational tasks.

Since joining BlackBerry in 2009 Neelam has held various positions, based out of the company’s United Kingdom, New York, and California offices. Her responsibilities have included Brand Management, Brand Messaging, Marketing Operations, Go-To-Market Planning, Corporate Strategic Initiatives, and CEO Office Business Operations. Neelam is a Member of the DPI Advisory Council, which serves the Government of Canada, and is on the Board of AFCEA DC, which serves the U.S. Government. Neelam won the FedScoop Best Bosses in Federal IT award in 2022. She holds a Bachelor’s degree, with Honors, in Business Management, from the University of Leicester and an Executive Certification in Financial Analysis from the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

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