The government calls it the first public AI lab in Alberta.
The Alberta government is creating an artificial intelligence (AI) lab within the government that aims to create technology and provide work experience for graduates.
Called GovLab.AI, the lab will be powered by AltaML and is expected to be the first public AI lab in the province.
The announcement was made Tuesday by Nate Glubish, Minister of Service Alberta, who noted that the lab’s goal is to find practical ways to use AI in government.
Led by AltaML, with support from Mitacs, the lab will create pilot programs that could potentially be commercialized and turned into internal government products or products that can then be sold or exported.
One example Minister Glubish gave is the work the province has done to use AI to predict where wildfires will start. He expressed hope that the provincial government will be able to produce more such technologies through the lab, as well as create opportunities to develop and retain AI talent locally.
The lab will operate in four-month cohorts and will include a talent accelerator.
Cory Janssen, co-founder and co-CEO of AltaML, said the lab has the potential to be a “game changer” across Alberta and help create more AI jobs.
The province has not shared the dollar amount it plans to invest in the lab, though the announcement follows the province’s revelation last week of plans to allocate $30 million over the course of the next three years at AI. Details on how the $30 million would be spent were vague, with a government spokesperson noting plans to announce specific initiatives in the near future.
The $30 million for all AI is part of the provincial government’s new innovation strategy, which received $73 million in the 2022 budget.
Edmonton has become a recognized hub for artificial intelligence over the past decade. So much so that the eminent expert and pioneer of AI, Richard S. Sutton, chose to settle in Edmonton for his work. Edmonton is also home to the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), which is one of three institutions that are part of the federal government’s pan-Canadian AI strategy.
AltaML is one of many AI companies in Alberta. It is a software company that partners with organizations to co-develop AI-driven solutions. AltaML’s customers are primarily companies in the process of digital transformation, but the company is also developing AI software products that it plans to launch in “big markets”.
Some of AltaML’s work with companies results in spin-offs or joint ventures. AltaML then provides resources to accelerate these businesses. Companies the company claims to have helped launch to date include AlphaLayer, BlueMarvel.AI, System3, Sylvester.ai, and Jurisage; with AltaML claiming there are several more in the works.
Among its many partnerships, AltaML has partnered with Amplitude Ventures, a Montreal-based health-focused company that wants to power more Canadian AI and biotech companies.
The province’s comprehensive Alberta Technology and Innovation Strategy (ATIS) also has a strong focus on recruiting and building tech talent in the province. Through ATIS, Alberta hopes to create 20,000 new jobs and help Alberta technology companies generate $5 billion in additional annual revenue by 2030. ATIS is also focused on attracting more capital into province, marketing support and general promotion of Alberta as a technology destination to the rest of the world.
Part of that work has been bringing world-class accelerators to the province, including Plug and Play, Alchemist Accelerator, and 500 Global.
While the success of these government initiatives is unclear, there has been significant momentum and Alberta’s tech sector has matured rapidly. Last year was an impressive one for Alberta tech companies, which raised a total of $356.7 million. The sector also showed further signs of maturity in the first quarter of this year with a new quarterly venture capital funding record.
Even with this growth, Alberta, like many regions, still faces challenges funding early-stage startups and could experience a downturn in public and private markets.
Speaking to BetaKit earlier this year, Calgary-based Thin Air Labs partner James Lochrie said: “In Alberta we have a very hands-on, problem-solving economy and problem-solving businesses. difficult and important,” said Lochrie. “I expect Alberta to weather any downturn pretty well.”
Feature Image Source Billy Hudy Going through Unsplash.
