iA Financial Group Donates $1 Million to Support SickKids AI Initiative

Transforming Children’s Health Care Through Responsible Artificial Intelligence

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iA Financial Group has announced a significant $1 million donation to SickKids Foundation, demonstrating a strong commitment to advancing artificial intelligence (AI) in pediatric health care. This contribution, distributed over the next ten years, will support the SickKids AI (SKAI) program—an initiative aimed at transforming care, research, education and operations through the implementation of responsible AI practices.

iA Financial Group’s partnership with SickKids began in 2006. This most recent commitment builds on a multi-year pledge to support the organization, with prior donations totaling $500,000 between 2021 and 2025. This continued support underscores iA Financial Group’s dedication to advancing child health outcomes.

“Community engagement is a core element of iA Financial Group’s sustainable development strategy. We actively support initiatives that enhance quality of life for Canadians. This donation will enable the Foundation to further its mission, shaping the future of children’s health care at SickKids and beyond,” said Denis Ricard, President and CEO of iA Financial Group.

“iA Financial Group has been a longstanding and trusted partner, and we are incredibly thankful for their continued support,” said Julie Garcia Sjogrim, Vice-President, Corporate and Community Partnerships at SickKids Foundation. “This generous $1 million investment in SickKids AI will help accelerate how the hospital integrates ethical, human-centered artificial intelligence across care, research and education, ultimately improving outcomes for children and families today and into the future.”

The SKAI program is designed to enhance the delivery of care, staff training and research at SickKids by integrating responsible AI across all areas of pediatric health care. iA Financial Group’s donation will contribute to three main pillars of the program:

• AI Service: A specialized team dedicated to developing, evaluating, monitoring and scaling AI technologies across SickKids.
• AI Discovery: A research division focused on generating new insights through the development and application of AI technologies.
• AI Community: A collaborative network of experts, learners and contributors committed to advancing the ethical use of AI in child health.

SickKids AI (SKAI) will utilize this funding to drive innovation and deliver high-quality care to children. As a global leader in pediatric medicine, SickKids is dedicated to deploying AI tools in an ethical, safe and scalable way for the benefit of children and families worldwide.

About iA Financial Group

iA Financial Group is one of the largest insurance and wealth management groups in Canada, with operations in the United States. Founded in 1892, it is an important Canadian public company and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IAG (common shares).

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