AI everywhere, with benefits for everyone
Rising demand for AI expertise across all sectors inspired the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) and the University of Alberta (U of A) to launch the AI Everywhere initiative, an introductory course providing fundamental AI literacy skills to all U of A undergraduates. MICHEL FEIST
Once the realm of science fiction, artificial intelligence (AI) has now advanced into all areas of society – transforming the way we live, learn and work. Are Canadians ready to embrace this shift? What are the skills and competencies that can enhance our ability to unlock AI’s powerful potential? And how can we ensure AI is leveraged for the greater good?
These are some of the questions that inspire efforts at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), says Cam Linke, Amii’s CEO. “The big opportunity in AI is that barriers to adoption have started to come down. Whether it’s individuals wanting to use AI, researchers searching for insights or companies looking to drive business value, there are many tools and frameworks available.”
This creates opportunities to “ride the growing wave of impact,” he notes. “It’s an exciting time for AI overall.”
What makes AI increasingly accessible is the sheer – and steadily growing – number of tools and frameworks, including open-source, no code and low code tools, and Mr. Linke says this enhances the potential to “leverage AI solutions for addressing today’s complex challenges, such as forest fires erupting across the country, rising health-care costs and other issues of concern like climate change, food insecurity and pandemics.”
While there are significant benefits to be gained from technology-enabled answers and solutions, efforts have to be in place to ensure “AI is used for good – and for all,” he emphasizes. “At Amii, we’re asking big questions about the impact of AI.”
Among the concerns investigated by researchers are “privacy and bias,” and Mr. Linke believes bolstering AI literacy can help address such challenges as well as advance responsible deployment of AI going forward.
“By making sure that as many people as possible are part of the conversation – and have an understanding about AI – we have a better chance to leverage these tools to achieve a positive impact across society,” he suggests.
Advancing AI literary
In a world where “AI is empowering people to do new things, and where Canada is facing a productivity challenge, being able to use AI to grow our productivity is key,” says Mr. Linke. “Yet as with any new technology, there’s potential for disruption.”
A recent survey confirms that people are worried about the impact of AI on their careers. Among recent graduates, 52 per cent of respondents indicated that the growth of AI made them question how prepared they are for the workforce.
But rather than worrying that AI will replace people in their jobs, Mr. Linke sees a different scenario: “The reality is that there is a greater chance that someone without skills and competencies in AI will be replaced by somebody who has these skills,” he says. “That’s the direction much of the workforce is going, and we need to prepare people so they can be part of the segment that has this expertise.”
Rising demand for AI expertise and AI-literate professionals across all sectors – from health care, marketing and finance to education and beyond – inspired Amii and the University of Alberta (U of A) to take a proactive approach with the AI Everywhere initiative, a three-credit introductory course providing
fundamental AI literacy skills to all
U of A undergraduates.
“AI continues to reshape all aspects of society, so AI literacy is no longer an option but a necessity,” says Bill Flanagan, president and vice-chancellor, University of Alberta. “The launch of our AI Everywhere course, which was created in partnership with Amii, is part of an AI certification that is in development and will build on our world-class expertise in AI education.”
The aim is to bridge the AI skills gap and empower U of A students with a competitive edge in an evolving job market. “The U of A is committed to teaching the next generation of leaders the skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world, and that increasingly includes an understanding of AI. It is an exciting time for our institution, for Amii – and for the future of AI – and I am proud that we are at the forefront,” Mr. Flanagan adds.
“By equipping both technical and non-technical undergraduates with AI literacy skills,” says Mr. Linke, “we are laying a strong foundation for a talented and versatile workforce that can collaborate seamlessly with AI experts, drive transformative breakthroughs and solidify Canada’s position as a global leader in AI advancement.”
“Where we’re seeing AI having its biggest impact is often in these intersectional domains; for example, in energy, new materials, drug discovery and health. ”
A legacy of leadership
AI Everywhere, one of the first of its kind of educational options offered by a Canadian university, is a continuation of the U of A’s longstanding leadership in AI research, which led to the formation of Amii six years ago as part of the pan-Canadian AI strategy.
“We work with researchers across Western Canada, but the U of A is our primary partner,” says Mr. Linke. “It’s where our research excellence comes from historically.”
In 1964, the U of A became the first Canadian university with a computing science department. In 1994, it celebrated a major achievement when the Chinook checkers program, developed by Amii Fellow and University of Alberta professor Jonathan Schaeffer, bested top players in the world. Later milestones were realized with other games-based research, including Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo program.
“The genesis of AlphaGo started with David Silver while he was doing his PhD at the U of A with guidance from Rich Sutton, Amii’s chief scientific adviser, and Martin Mueller,” says Mr. Linke. AlphaGo, which was subsequently launched by DeepMind, now part of Google, beat world champion Lee Sedol in the game of Go in 2016. “It became this incredible example of the impact of AI. It shows the exciting results that can come from investing in discovery-based research and researchers,” he adds.
The U of A’s track record of success along the research to development to commercialization continuum inspires Amii’s three objectives: one, to advance fundamental AI research; two, to apply AI capabilities in area-specific domains; and three, to further the application of these insights and skills in society via a translational bridge with industry.
Among Amii’s ambitious goals is bolstering the number of researchers working in AI, according to Mr. Linke. “Earlier this year, we announced that we’ll recruit 20 new AI researchers. This will enable us to advance the fundamental computing science excellence that underpins what we do,” he says. “About 15 of those researchers are going to be working in different faculties across campus – including in fields like medicine, physics, biology, agriculture, Indigenous studies and more – to help leverage their expertise in key areas.”
Broader AI literacy can accelerate the successful application of “AI expertise and AI tools,” says Mr. Linke. “Where we’re seeing AI having its biggest impact is often in these intersectional domains; for example, in energy, new materials, drug discovery and health.”
AI for good
In order to maximize positive outcomes – and accelerate the application of insights and tools coming out of fundamental research for societal gain – Amii focuses on “high-impact projects,” says Mr. Linke. “We’ve worked with groups on important issues like identifying and fighting forest fires and advancing drug discovery, and everything in between.”
For complex issues affecting multiple stakeholders, AI technologies can be leveraged for their ability to process large amounts of data to arrive at science-based solutions that are not biased in favour of specific interests. This, in turn, can support responsible and informed decision-making, which Mr. Linke has seen at play in addressing challenges affecting the water, energy and food nexus.
Any issue managing one of these resources can affect the others – and an integrated approach to their use can enhance outcomes for each resource, he explains. “Our work on water treatment here in Edmonton, for example, has a big impact on energy use; and reducing energy consumption through AI has the opportunity to save huge costs for municipalities.”
Mr. Linke hopes that by taking AI interventions into vulnerable communities, the gap in access to clean drinking water can be bridged. “That’s still a huge problem, and a super exciting area for AI applications,” he says. “We can also make a difference in places like health-care settings by providing more tools for overburdened health-care workers.”
From improving sustainability performance through identifying and mitigating methane leaks and optimizing the resource intensity of buildings and industry processes to crop yield optimization and precision agriculture, there is a long list of areas where new advances in machine learning are driving better results.
“Whether you’re working in government, with a large company or a startup, there’s never been a better time to consider AI for potential solutions,” says Mr. Linke, who urges Canadians to participate in this dynamic field, which “is moving fast and growing quickly.”
To view this report on The Globe's website, visit globeandmail.com
To view the full report as it appeared in The Globe's print edition: Science innovation