Dr. Richard Lachman
Dr. Richard Lachman directs the Zone Learning network of incubators for Toronto Metropolitan University, is a Professor in the RTA School of Media, and serves as a Technology and Creative Consultant for entertainment and software-development projects. He is a Gemini and CNMA award winner, and a frequent media commentator on technology issues. Lachman completed his doctorate at UNE in Australia studying neural network recommendation-engines, did his undergraduate work in Computer Science at MIT, and holds a Master’s degree from the MIT Media Lab’s “Interactive Cinema” group. He was part of a startup acquired by Mattel, ending as Lead Designer and Lead Engineer for the Petz software with over 3 million units shipped worldwide. His book “Digital Wisdom: Rethinking Innovation in the Age of AI” is forthcoming Fall 2025.
His professional projects have included partners such as Discovery Channel Canada, the NFB, CTV, CityTV, and the Banff Centre for the Arts, and his projects have been featured in the New York Times, USA Today and Time Magazine, as well as being part of an exhibition at the American Museum of the Moving Image in New York, and the Museum of War in Ottawa.
His areas of research include technology ethics, creative AI, transmedia storytelling, digital documentaries, mixed realities, and collaborative design thinking.
Richard Lachman
RTA School of Media
Toronto Metropolitan University
350 Victoria St
Toronto, ON
Canada M5B 2K3