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UNB’s Dr. Ali Ghorbani has been recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Association (CAIAC).

CAIAC is the Canadian arm of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, an international scientific society dedicated to advancing scientific understanding of AI.

Dr. Ghorbani was one of only two recipients of this award for 2024, alongside the University of Toronto’s Dr. Sheila McIlraith.

“The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honour bestowed by CAIAC,” the organization says on its website. “It is presented to individuals who have distinguished themselves through outstanding research excellence in artificial intelligence during the course of their academic career.”

Dr. Ghorbani is a professor of computer science, Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity, and director of UNB’s Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity (CIC). With more than 30 years of research and innovation experience, Ghorbani has been a trailblazer in the cybersecurity research space, including in the application of AI toward these goals.

“Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of our lives, transforming industries, enhancing human capabilities, and addressing some of the most complex challenges of our time,” said Ghorbani.

“I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive this award. This recognition is not just a personal milestone but also a reflection of the support I have received from my family, students, colleagues and private and public sector collaborators. I share this award with my former and current students for their invaluable creativity and support.”

“The recognition from the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Association will further inspire me, my students and my collaborators to remain dedicated to advancing the frontiers of artificial intelligence and its application to the security and safety of Canadians. Our focus will always be on responsible AI for the betterment of humanity.”

Across his career to date, Ghorbani has published more than 100 peer-reviewed research papers and more than 200 conference presentations. He has also supervised over 100 graduate students, helping to train the next generation of cybersecurity experts. He has also co-founded three startups, and supported the transfer of knowledge, expertise and innovation to other companies. In his capacity as director of the CIC, he also helped establish the pan-Canadian National Cybersecurity Consortium.

“Congratulations to Dr. Ghorbani on this well-deserved recognition,” said Dr. David MaGee, UNB’s vice-president research. “Ali’s continued dedication to research excellence, to innovation and to sharing knowledge broadly is a significant asset to our institution and to our communities.”

Ghorbani and McIlraith joined just 18 other researchers to receive the award since its inception.