大约两年前，我接到了一个改变我人生的电话。
About two years ago, I got a phone call that changed my life.
“嗨，我是你的表兄海森。”
"Hey, this is your cousin Hassen."
我呆住了。
I froze.
看吧，我有超过30个表兄弟，但是我不记得有叫海森的人。
You see, I have well over 30 first cousins, but I didn't know anybody named Hassen.
结果海森其实是我母亲的表兄弟，并且作为一个难民刚到达蒙特利尔。
It turned out that Hassen was actually my mom's cousin and had just arrived in Montreal as a refugee.
在接下来的几个月，我会有另外3个亲戚来加拿大申请避难，他们随身携带的只有一身换洗衣服。
And over the next few months, I would have three more relatives coming to Canada to apply for asylum with little more than the clothes on their back.
在接下来两年，因为那通电话，我的人生彻彻底底的改变了。
And in the two years since that phone call, my life has completely changed.
我离开了学术界现在带领着来自科技，研究和难民等不同领域的团队以为新移民打造自助资源。
I left academia and now lead a diverse team of technologists, researchers and refugees that is developing customized self-help resources for newcomers.
我们想让他们战胜语言，文化和其他障碍，这些障碍使他们觉得无法控制他们的人生。
We want to help them overcome language, cultural and other barriers that make them feel like they've lost control over their own lives.
我们觉得人工智能可以恢复那些在向别人寻求帮助时丢掉的权益和尊严。
And we feel that AI can help restore the rights and the dignity that many people lose when seeking help.
并在两周内填写法律文件。
When you first arrive, you need to find a lawyer and fill out legal documents within two weeks.
同时你也需要找有资格的医师安排一次体检，这样就可以申请工作证了。
You also need to schedule a medical exam with a pre-authorized physician, just so that you can apply for a work permit.
然后在你收到任何社会救助之前，你需要找一个地方居住。
And you need to start looking for a place to live before you receive any sort of social assistance.
举个例子，在蒙特利尔，尽管在安置工作上已经花费了百万美元，但是将近50%的新移民仍不知道有免费资源存在，可以帮助他们做从填写文件到寻找工作的任何事情。
In Montreal, for example, despite millions of dollars being spent to support resettlement efforts, nearly 50 percent of newcomers still don't know that there are free resources that exist to help them with everything from filling out paperwork to finding a job.
最具有挑战的不是这些信息不存在。
The challenge is not that this information doesn't exist.
反之，这些需要帮助的人在无数信息的轰炸面前根本很难理解这一切。
On the contrary, those in need are often bombarded with so much information that it's difficult to make sense of it all.
“别再给我信息了，告诉我我该做什么，”是我们听到的一次又一次的抱怨。
"Don't give me more information, just tell me what to do," was a sentiment we heard over and over again.
这反映出当你来到一个新国家时，要搞清楚方向是多么难。
And it reflects how insanely difficult it could be to get your bearings when you first arrive in a new country.
真的，我刚来蒙特利尔时也面临一样的困难，我还是博士呢。
Hell, I struggled with the same issues when I got to Montreal, and I have a PhD.
（笑）
(Laughter)
我们团队的另一位成员，他自己就是难民，他说：“在加拿大，一张SIM卡远比食物重要，因为我们不会因饥饿而死。”
As another member of our team, himself also a refugee, put it: "In Canada, a SIM card is more important than food, because we will not die from hunger."
但是获得正确的资源和信息可以是生存和死亡的区别。
But getting access to the right resources and information can be the difference between life and death.
让我再重复一遍：获得正确的资源和信息可以是生存和地死亡的区别。
Let me say that again: getting access to the right resources and information can be the difference between life and death.
为了解决这些问题，我们创造了Atar，第一个基于人工智能的虚拟引导者可以带你一步一步度过在新城市的第一周。
In order to address these issues, we built Atar, the first-ever AI-powered virtual advocate that guides you step-by-step through your first week of arriving in a new city.