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Professional Bio
Dr. Shane Saunderson is an expert in the design and psychology of interactions with social machines. He is the founder of Artificial Futures, a digital strategy and user experience firm for the age of automation. Shane also lectures on digital transformation and emerging technologies with Schulich Executive Education at York University. He has spent over a decade consulting for Fortune 500 clients on digital strategy, disruptive innovation, and technology projects. Shane has helped found several startups, has chaired numerous industry boards, is a prolific technology writer, and frequently gives talks on robotics, AI, design thinking, and the future of technology in society. He is a former Vanier scholar who holds a PhD in Robotics with a specialization in psychology from the University of Toronto, an MBA in Technology and Innovation from the Ted Rogers School of Management, and a B. Eng. from McGill University.
Academic Bio
Shane Saunderson received a B.Eng. in mechanical engineering from McGill University in 2005 and a M.B.A. in technology and innovation from the Ted Rogers School of Management in 2011, and a PhD in robotics with a specialization in psychology from the University of Toronto in 2022. He is a former Vanier scholar and Junior Fellow with Massey College. Shane currently is an Artificial Experience (AX) designer with Artificial Futures, a digital strategy and user experience firm for the age of automation. Shane’s research interests focus on the psychological influence and implications of social technologies with particular interests in topics such as trust, persuasion, and anthropomorphism.
Casual Bio
After sneaking away from a prairie farm, Shane spent his early career as an entrepreneur in North America and Europe focused on robotics and connected devices. He spent a decade as an innovation consultant for Fortune 500 clients, combining his technical knowledge with a natural knack for business strategy. Shane currently runs Artificial Futures, a digital strategy and user experience firm for the age of automation. He is a prolific writer on technology and frequently gives talks on robotics, AI, design thinking, and the future of technology in society. Shane is a former Vanier scholar who holds a PhD in Robotics with a specialization in psychology from the University of Toronto, an MBA in Technology and Innovation from the Ted Rogers School of Management, and a B. Eng. from McGill University.
Long Bio
A veteran of the start-up space, Shane’s perspective is coloured by his wealth of experience in engineering, social research, and management consulting. He spent the earlier part of his career as an entrepreneur in North America and Europe focused on product design, mobile robotics, connected devices, and automation. Shane then spent over a decade consulting for Fortune 500 clients on digital strategy, disruptive innovation, and technology development, primarily within the healthcare and financial services spaces.
Shane uses his unique blend of intuition and analytics to help people work through some of their most wicked problems and innovate in unforeseen directions. Part engineer, part artist, part businessman, part storyteller, and part battery-licker, Shane approaches each project with a hunger to learn and create something new. He is a prolific writer and confident presenter who is frequently asked to lecture or give keynotes on topics such as robotics, AI, design thinking, and the future of technology in society.
Shane is a former Vanier Canada scholar who holds a PhD in Robotics with a specialization in psychology from the University of Toronto, an MBA in Technology and Innovation from the Ted Rogers School of Management in Toronto, and a B. Eng. from McGill University in Montreal. Shane is the founder of Artificial Futures, a digital strategy and user experience firm focused on AI as well as a lecturer on digital transformation and emerging technologies with Schulich Executive Education at York University. Previously, he was the VP of Technology with Idea Couture, a strategy & innovation consultancy, the Chair of the Microsoft Canada Artificial Intelligence Partner Advisory Board (aiPAB), and a co-founder of Babbly, an AI-powered infant tech start-up.
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