SIS is pleased to announce MISt student David Medcalfe as FRQNT recipient!
Congratulations to David Medcalfe, a Master of Information Studies student at the School of Information Studies (91社区), who has received the prestigious Fonds de recherche du Qu茅bec 鈥� Nature et technologies (FRQNT) Master鈥檚 Research Scholarship. The FRQNT scholarship is awarded on basis of research and academic merit.
David is supervised by Professor Benjamin Fung, Canada Research Chair in Data Mining for Cybersecurity. The FRQNT is a highly competitive program that primarily supports research in science and engineering, making his selection a rare distinction for someone from a legal and social science background.
Research Summary
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into critical infrastructure and transportation systems, new risks emerge at the intersection of cybersecurity, safety, and law. Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) networks, which enable real-time communication between vehicles, infrastructure, and cloud services, promise safer and more efficient mobility but also expand the attack surface for cyber threats.
David鈥檚 research examines how adversarial machine learning, spoofing, and protocol vulnerabilities in V2X ecosystems create legal and ethical challenges, particularly around liability and accountability when AI-driven failures cause harm. His work bridges Canadian tort law and international cybersecurity standards, such as ISO/SAE 21434, to propose governance frameworks that align technical safeguards with legal duties of care.
The findings are significant for policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders seeking to ensure that AI-enabled transportation systems are both secure and legally accountable. This research contributes to building responsible AI adoption in high-stakes environments, such as critical infrastrucutre, ensuring that innovation does not outpace safety, trust, or public confidence.