Bio
Afsaneh Fazly holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Toronto and brings more than two decades of experience at the intersection of AI research, engineering, and leadership. She currently serves as AI Research Director at RBC Borealis, where she works on advancing intelligent systems that bridge cutting-edge research with real-world applications. Throughout her career, she has focused on language technologies, foundation models, multimodal AI, and machine learning systems that move from research prototypes to production at scale.
Before joining RBC Borealis, Afsaneh held leadership and research roles across academia, startups, and global technology organizations, including Samsung AI Centre Toronto, Thomson Reuters, and VerticalScope. She also co-founded Evolo Analytics, helping shape the company’s AI vision from its earliest stages, and continues to advise startups and organizations on AI strategy, commercialization, and responsible innovation through AXL Venture Studio and Astaria AI.
Alongside her industry work, Afsaneh has remained deeply committed to research and education. She has authored more than 70 publications, holds over 10 patents, and has mentored engineers, scientists, researchers, and students throughout her career. As an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, she is passionate about helping students connect fundamental AI research with the practical challenges of building trustworthy, impactful intelligent systems, while contributing to the continued growth of Canada’s AI ecosystem.