Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) Releases Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Report and Strategy (Final Report)

From an OCUL Announcement:

The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) Task Force on Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence has released its final report and strategy, following up on its interim report published in March 2024.

The task force’s goals in finding, selecting, and shaping the projects outlined in the final report were to grow OCUL’s collective expertise around specific technologies and processes through hands-on experience that benefits the entire OCUL community. The report proposes a range of projects that will help the consortium understand scenario, workflow, and structural issues related to different types of machine learning and artificial intelligence work.

“In implementing machine learning projects, the aim is to significantly expand OCUL’s ability to think through what it means to incorporate these tools into work, and that lessons learned via initial projects can be applied more broadly in the future,” explains Amy Greenberg, OCUL Executive Director.

The projects recommended in the final report were selected from among many use cases explored, including those listed in the task force’s interim report, and meet four key criteria:

1. There is an expressed need.
2. The projects provide consortial solutions.
3. The projects move from simpler to more complex, allowing for learning and experience.
4. Each project creates reusable tools and techniques for future use.

At the spring 2024 meeting of the OCUL Directors, the task force’s final report was presented. The proposed governance and staffing structure for OCUL’s Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning program was approved, and four initial projects were identified for completion between 2024 and 2026. These four projects encompass an audio-to-text transcription project, a government documents metadata project, an Accessible Content E-Portal book remediation project, and human-in-the-loop chatbot development.

Direct to  OCUL Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Final Report and Strategy
18 pages; PDF.

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