His work has been published in top-tier academic journals and media outlets, such as The New 91亚色 Times and Time Magazine, and his insights shared with policy-makers to improve markets. We asked him a few questions about how AI is shaping the consumer experience for better or worse.

How is AI influencing or shaping consumer behaviour, buying choices and changing consumption patterns?

At Schulich, I lead several research projects that look at precisely this question. What we see is that AI transforms consumption in two directions at once. On the one hand, it depersonalizes choice by reducing consumers to streams of probabilities. On the other, it reintroduces personalization by tailoring recommendations and experiences back to us. This back-and-forth doesn鈥檛 just change what people buy; it reshapes how they see themselves as consumers 鈥� more data legible, more responsibilized and more entangled with markets.

It is changing how consumers engage with brands and products, such as with targeted recommendations?

Yes, and our research shows recommendations are just the tip of the iceberg. Consumers increasingly delegate choices to algorithms, often treating them as responsible agents. That changes how trust and loyalty are formed 鈥� not only toward brands but also toward the systems that mediate them. At Schulich, we鈥檙e documenting how platforms that balance depersonalization and repersonalization 鈥� scaling interactions while keeping them personal 鈥� are redefining engagement.

How is AI shaping consumer experiences from customer service to interactive shopping?

In our ongoing projects, we observe AI reshaping experiences in ways that are seamless yet paradoxical. AI assistants, chatbots and generative interfaces can enchant shopping by making it interactive and human-like. But they also create new frictions when consumers sense too much automation or a lack of empathy. What emerges, and what we study closely, are 鈥渆ntanglement-centric鈥� experiences 鈥� co-created encounters where consumers and AI systems jointly produce meaning and efficiency.

Are there ethical and data privacy concerns with how consumer data is used?

Definitely. Across multiple Schulich studies, we see that AI doesn鈥檛 just consume data 鈥� it creates new forms of responsibility for consumers. People are asked to manage algorithmic risks, to be 鈥淎I-ready consumers.鈥� This moralizes consumption around compliance and fairness, effectively shifting governance onto individuals and marketers. So the ethical challenge is not only about privacy but also about who bears the burden of making AI safe and fair.

What can we expect in the future?

Our work suggests that AI will increasingly be embedded into core institutions like family, health, education and housing. That means consumption itself will be redefined 鈥� not just in terms of products and services but also in how people experience intimacy, security and identity through markets. The critical question is whether this embedding of AI will reproduce inequalities or create genuinely human-centred opportunities for consumption.

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To help meet the territory鈥檚 demand for skilled project managers within the public sector, the Schulich ExecEd program 鈥� which recently saw its third cohort of students graduate 鈥� allows participants to delve into various facets of project management, gaining the insights, tools and techniques essential for navigating complex projects successfully. From project planning and risk management to stakeholder engagement and resource allocation, participants emerge from the program equipped with a comprehensive skill set tailored to the unique challenges faced within the public sector.

鈥淥ur students in the third cohort of the program came from far and wide across this massive territory to learn how to manage projects of all types, spanning government policy, health care, technology, construction, engineering and more,鈥� says David Barrett, national program director of the Masters Certificate in Project Management program. 鈥淚t is a delight to work with our graduates at the end of our program, as they embrace a new set of tools, a new language and a new method of approaching all of their projects 鈥� regardless of size.鈥�

With over 100 employees from the government of Nunavut and affiliated organizations participating in the program since its inception, the initiative has had a profound impact on the territory鈥檚 workforce. From urban centres to remote communities, public servants have seized the opportunity to enhance their project management acumen, driven by a collective dedication to professional growth and service excellence.

鈥淲e are immensely proud of our enduring partnership with the government of Nunavut,鈥� says Rami Mayer, executive director of Schulich ExecEd. 鈥淭his collaboration stands as a testament to our shared commitment to empowering public servants with the essential tools and knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of project management within the public sector.鈥�

Beyond mere skill development, Mayer says this partnership is about fostering a culture of innovation in the territory and planting the seeds for a new generation of professionals.

鈥淲e recognize the profound impact of efficient project management on the lives of the Indigenous peoples of Nunavut,鈥� says Mayer. 鈥淓nhanced project management skills enable the government of Nunavut to execute initiatives that directly benefit the Indigenous community 鈥� from infrastructure projects to health-care initiatives and cultural preservation efforts.鈥�

In providing these professional development opportunities, Schulich ExecEd and the government of Nunavut are not only building a more efficient public sector but also fostering a stronger, more resilient Indigenous community. And they are committed to continuing to do so 鈥� together.

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The researchers examined the relationship between financial literacy and IPO underpricing for a large sample of 14,831 IPOs from 34 countries over the 1998 to 2020 period. They used two measures of financial literacy that captured individuals鈥� basic financial knowledge, including the ability to invest in stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

鈥淔inancial literacy is important for the efficient functioning of financial markets,鈥� says Kanagaretnam. 鈥淔inancially literate individuals possess fairly advanced financial knowledge and are therefore better able to seek out higher-level financial news and analyst reports, which may disclose additional information.鈥�

The research study is one of the first to document the relationship between citizens鈥� financial literacy and IPO underpricing and provides evidence that highlights the role of financial literacy in mitigating capital market inefficiencies. 

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