UBC Computer Science Tri-Mentoring Program Mentor Spotlight: Peter Smith

Meet Peter Smith! Peter is a UBC CS alum who has mentored students in the Tri-Mentoring Program for nearly 20 years. In this interview, he shares why he enjoys being a mentor and how he’s contributed to the CS dept: www.cs.ubc.ca/news/2026/04...

Five amazing teachers across UBC Science have been recognized with 2026 Killam Teaching Prizes! Congratulations to Varada Kolhatkar (@cs.ubc.ca), Nadine Borduas-Dedekind & Roman Krems (@chem.ubc.ca ), Jess McIver & Janis McKenna (@ubcphas.bsky.social).
@killamtrusts.bsky.social

bit.ly/4tacExJ

UBC Computer Science Professor Ivan Beschastnikh is one of faculty members leading a team presenting on their project "End‐to‐End GHG Emissions Tracking of Online Services." Learn more at the event on April 14 at IKB Learning Centre!

UBC Giving Day April 8, 2026

Today is UBC Giving Day and the Computer Science Scholarship is a UBC Giving Day fund! Last year, donors contributed more than $15,000 to the CS Scholarship, supporting 14 of our students and helping them focus on their studies. Donate today:
givingday.ubc.ca/32770/gd2026...

12 UBC Computer Science papers debut at leading human-computer interaction conference

UBC Computer Science researchers will be in Barcelona, Spain next week for CHI 2026, presenting 12 papers, a poster and an interactive demonstration. Read more about their projects in our new article: www.cs.ubc.ca/news/2026/04...

UBC Computer Science welcomes Nathan Harms, PhD, Assistant Professor

UBC Computer Science welcomes Dr. Nathan Harms! Dr. Harms’ research involves finding the best algorithms or proving limits of computation. Read more in our new article: www.cs.ubc.ca/news/2026/04...

UBC competitive hacking team to organize this year’s top-tier cybersecurity competition

After a historic four-year winning streak, a team of over 30 students and alumni from UBC and Carnegie Mellon University are organizing the next DEF CON “Capture the Flag” cybersecurity competition. Read more: www.cs.ubc.ca/news/2026/03...

AI wrote a scientific paper that passed peer review The arrival of AI-generated research papers marks a turning point that could radically accelerate discovery—or drown it in automated mediocrity

“I predict the AI Scientist actually marks the dawn of a new era of rapid scientific advances,” UBC computer scientist Dr. Jeff Clune claims, imagining humans reduced to curators witnessing #AI achieve scientific wonders.
@cs.ubc.ca @vectorinstitute.ai

www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-w...

Co-coach Joel Gunawan and team members Rain Zimin Yang, Charles Ran, and Alexander Wen. Not pictured: Co-coach Xingyu Zhou

Congrats to UBC’s competitive programming team for qualifying for the ICPC World Finals!
The team solved 8 out of 13 challenging algorithm problems and placed 11th in the North American Championship last weekend in Florida. Good luck at the World Finals!

UBC Computer Scientists and collaborators show that an AI system can conduct independent research, potentially accelerating research discoveries

UBC Computer Scientists and collaborators show that an AI system can conduct independent research, potentially accelerating research discoveries. Read more in our new article: www.cs.ubc.ca/news/2026/03...

UBC Computer Science Tri-Mentoring Program Mentor Spotlight: Victoria Chan

Meet Victoria Chan, a UBC Computer Science alum (BSc ‘03) and Senior Manager, End User Productivity at ICBC. In this interview, she shares how she got into the computer science field and how her mentorship has changed over the years: www.cs.ubc.ca/news/2026/03...

Hackathon coders are the heart of the machine Hackathons like cmd-f are as computer science as electric apple pie. Each person, in groups of up to four, attempts to write a functioning computer program in 24 hours. 24 straight hours.

Hackathons like cmd-f are as computer science as electric apple pie. Each person, in groups of up to four, attempts to write a functioning computer program in 24 hours. 24 straight hours.

ubyssey.ca/culture/hack...

Sharing an exciting opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students interested in working with real-world data and making a meaningful impact in our society, with prizes to be won! Deadline to apply: April 1, 2026. See below for the details 👇 @science.ubc.ca @stat.ubc.ca @cs.ubc.ca

UBC students launch first-ever, student-led computer science research conference

Undergraduate and graduate student researchers congregated for a day of talks, posters, presentations and networking at the inaugural UBC CS Student Research Conference.
Read more in our new article: www.cs.ubc.ca/news/2026/03...

This Friday we will be hosting Professor Peter Yichen Chen who will give a talk titled "Physical AI Needs an AI-Enhanced Physics Simulator"

On April 9, UBC’s AI and Health Network is hosting a half-day forum focused on translating AI innovation into real-world health impact. The event will highlight early progress and explore how AI-enabled tools can address complex health challenges. @cs.ubc.ca

www.med.ubc.ca/transforming...

Empire of AI: Karen Hao in Conversation with Naomi Klein - Chan Centre Empire of AI author and journalist Karen Hao speaks with Naomi Klein on how the accelerating AI revolution is reshaping society and concentrating power in the hands of a few.

Don’t miss Empire of AI: Karen Hao in Conversation with Naomi Klein, a timely deep dive into the global AI arms race and who really holds the power shaping our future.

📅 Thu Mar 12, 2026 | 7:30 PM
📍 Chan Shun Concert Hall
📎https://tinyurl.com/4j86m7s8

#UBC

What the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting reveals about regulating AI | CBC News Can AI systems reliably detect real threats? And where’s the line between safety and privacy? Following the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., questions are mounting about what artificial intellige...

“We just can't rely on the companies to voluntarily stand up,” says Dr. Alan Mackworth, UBC computer science prof. emeritus. “There needs to be some public accountability by having a regulatory agency with enforcement powers to check standards.” @cs.ubc.ca @alanmackworth.bsky.social
bit.ly/3N2V3rH

A close up of a hand holding a phone upon which the OpenAI symbol is displayed alongside the text 'ChatGPT'. Green binary code is displayed in the background behind the hand. Credit: Sebastien Bozon/AFP

The Tumbler Ridge, B.C., tragedy is raising questions about conversations with chatbots.

UBC profs Drs. Vered Shwartz, Alan Mackworth (@cs.ubc.ca) and Moira Aikenhead (@allard.ubc.ca) discuss

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End of hallucinations? How Vancouver AI firms achieve accuracy Ventures increasingly train AI agents on retrieval augmented generation (RAG) systems that containerize data in small data sets

“Our goal is to ensure that these AI tools are as reliable as possible so that professionals and the public can trust it,” says UBC computer scientist Dr. Vered Shwartz on training AI on RAGs (retrieval augmented generation) to limit hallucinations. @cs.ubc.ca

www.richmond-news.com/technology/e...

🎙️ Our next #WiAIR_podcast guest: Hila Gonen!

Assistant Professor @cs.ubc.ca, she works at the intersection of NLP & ML, aiming to make LLMs responsible, reliable, and fair across languages and socio-demographic groups.

Stay tuned 🎧 www.youtube.com/@WomeninAIRe...

See you next Monday at 5pm for a talk by Dr. Lovedeep Gondara, Head of AI R&D at Vanguard! RSVP in the link below if you haven't had a chance yet! 👇 @science.ubc.ca @cs.ubc.ca @stat.ubc.ca

Research abstract on disparities in third-party advertising and tracking, highlighting browser choice, location, and jurisdiction effects.

Tanya Prasad will be presenting "RegTrack: Uncovering Global Disparities in Third-party Advertising and Tracking" at MADWeb 2026 (co-located with NDSS).

B.C. Premier David Eby, seen here in a file photo during a visit to Tumbler Ridge, is urging the federal government to create a national standard for when AI companies must report users plotting violence on their platforms. Credit: Ben Nelms/CBC

"I think it should be part of the solution, I just think that it’s really tricky to draw the lines of what kind of content should be flagged versus not."

@veredshwartz.bsky.social on AI safety as OpenAI asked to share info on Tumbler Ridge shooter's AI interactions

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OpenAI safety reps called to Ottawa after Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting: minister | CBC News Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon has called representatives of OpenAI to Ottawa to discuss safety concerns after learning the killer in the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., was banne...

Computer scientist Dr. Alan Mackworth said that many professionals, such as teachers and doctors, have a "duty to report" any suspected case of harm to or abuse of a minor.

"Similar obligations should be placed on social media and AI companies." @cs.ubc.ca @alanmackworth.bsky.social

bit.ly/4ayhYnU

Drs. Mackworth and Poole recognized for making AI education accessible to students worldwide

UBC Computer Science Professors Emeriti Alan Mackworth and David Poole were awarded the AAAI/EAAI Patrick Henry Winston Outstanding Educator Award for developing free online resources to learn foundations of AI. Congratulations! Read more: www.cs.ubc.ca/news/2026/02...

Law and Technology Series - AI: Where Technology and the Law Intersect Join us for a conversation exploring the ethical, legal and technical issues arising from the use of AI technologies from a legal and business perspective.

What happens when evolving technologies meet the law and your obligations? Join us (in-person and Zoom) for a conversation exploring the ethical, legal and technical issues arising from the use of AI technologies from a legal and business perspective. allard.ubc.ca/about-us/eve...

AI: Navigating Risk, Opportunity and Reality in Legal Practice This session will examine the use of AI from both private practice and in-house perspectives, and serve as a launchpad for deeper discussions on responsible and effective AI adoption in the legal prof...

Join Michela Fiorido (Partner, Harris & Co LLP) and Jen Luther (Head of Product, Privacy, IP and Policy Legal, Superhuman) for a conversation exploring the practical, regulatory, and governance implications of AI for the practice of law. allard.ubc.ca/about-us/eve...

‘Go to the bar with your friends’: Strong local connections could help curb impact of AI misinformation New study suggests coordinated AI 'swarms' could mimic human behaviour online, distorting discourse in future elections

“I think the bigger thing is that it changes the extent to which we believe anything,” said UBC computer scientist Dr. Kevin Leyton-Brown. “Maybe go to the bar with your friends and talk to them in the real world.” @cs.ubc.ca

www.piquenewsmagazine.com/local-news/g...

Vered Shwartz, University of British Columbia - - How Persuasive Is AI? If you need to persuade someone, maybe let AI do the talking.

If you need to persuade someone, maybe let AI do the talking.

@veredshwartz.bsky.social discusses her work exploring persuasive #AI via @npr.org