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This Canada Dashboard Digest intro launches an idea inspired by the IAPP's 25 leaders, 25 moments at 25, celebrating 25 trailblazing innovators and 25 defining moments as part of its 25th anniversary of leading the way in helping those of us in this profession.
I may not reach 25 profiles, but I'd like to spotlight Canadian leaders who have shaped privacy, data protection, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence over the past three decades. In the weeks ahead, I'd like to write a bit about the work of some of our home-grown trailblazers whose influence still guides our digital future.
To start, I want to reflect on the late Ian Kerr, whose work and presence left a deep mark on me and many of us in the field.
In the evolving story of privacy, data protection and AI ethics in Canada and beyond, few names carry more weight than Kerr. For more than two decades, he was a guiding light — not only for the legal and academic communities, but for anyone who believed technology should serve humanity, not the other way around.
As the Canada Research Chair in Ethics, Law and Technology at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, Ian stood at the intersection of law, philosophy, medicine and information studies. His work spanned privacy and surveillance, human–machine interaction, and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. Long before AI became a mainstream policy concern, Kerr was asking the hard questions: What happens when machines make decisions about people? How do we preserve human dignity in a networked society?
His influence reached far beyond the classroom. Kerr co‑founded the first We Robot conference in 2012, creating a global forum for scholars and practitioners to debate the legal and ethical dimensions of robotics. He was a sought‑after voice for policymakers, including the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, which regularly turned to him for insight on anonymity, identity and emerging surveillance technologies.
Kerr's archived personal website preserves a wealth of articles, talks and teaching materials — many written years ago, yet strikingly still relevant for today’s privacy and AI debates.
But to focus only on his professional achievements would be to miss the essence of Ian Kerr. He was a masterful communicator, a generous mentor and a connector of people. He was a great drummer — my partner Shaun can attest as the two were in a band together — and he loved puppies and pedicures.
His lectures were as likely to reference art, philosophy and literature as they were to cite case law. He delighted in conversation, music and the arts — a reminder that privacy is not just a legal construct, but a deeply human value.
Kerr was years ahead of the time in anticipating the ethical dilemmas posed by AI. That prescience is part of his legacy: he helped Canada — and the world — think critically about technology before the headlines demanded it.
For those of us who knew him personally, Kerr's passing in 2019 was a profound loss. Yet his ideas, students and collaborations continue to shape the field. Each year at the IAPP Canada Privacy Symposium, his legacy is honored through the Ian Kerr Memorial Keynote/Lecture, spotlighting bold, forward‑looking voices in privacy and technology. In a time when privacy and AI ethics are more urgent than ever, his voice still echoes — urging us to think harder, act more boldly and never lose sight of the human beings at the heart of our work.
If you have thoughts on this highlight of Kerr's work or my idea to write about notable Canadians in our field, feel free to reach out on LinkedIn.
Kris Klein, CIPP/C, CIPM, FIP, is the country leader, Canada, for the IAPP.
This article originally appeared in the Canada Dashboard Digest, a free weekly IAPP newsletter. Subscriptions to this and other IAPP newsletters can be found here.
