Alberta Bound: A Closer Look at Canada’s Other A.I. Hub

While Toronto and Montreal may get most of the attention when it comes to Canada’s artificial intelligence industry, exciting things are happening in the west too. Earlier this year, the Alberta Government announced plans to spend $100 million over the next five years to grow the province’s A.Isector. Here are a few of the reasons why Alberta is a wise bet for businesses and job seekers looking to ride the wave of AI into the future. 

Post-Secondary Education is Onboard 

The University of Alberta’s Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), is a non-profit research organization that has been advancing machine language and artificial intelligence since 2002. It is ranked in the top five in the world for artificial intelligence and machine learning and companies from across the globe, including Microsoft, IBM and Volkswagen have partnered with Amii on research.  

BLINC Lab, also at The University of Alberta, brings together computer science researchers with medical, rehabilitation and engineering researchers to improve the sensorymotor control and integration of prosthetic limbs and robotic systems. Take a look at some of the fascinating work they’re doing 
Artificial intelligence and machine learning research and development is also taking place at the University of Calgary. The University’s MyHEAT project, which uses urban thermal remote sensing technology to detect heat loss in homes, recently won the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) grand prize for global climate change solutions. 

Big Names are Buying In 

Big names like Google DeepMind, Royal Bank of Canada and Mitsubishi have already opened research facilities in Edmonton. Google DeepMind’s Edmonton location represents its first ever international AI research base. Royal Bank’s Borealis AI lab in Edmonton is focused on reinforcement learning and is particularly interested in addressing issues of privacy and bias in artificial intelligence. 

Eager AI Startups are Setting Up Shop In Alberta Too 

Edmonton.AI, a community-driven group formed in 2017, is on a mission to build a community of at least 100 artificial intelligence and machine learning companies and projects in Edmonton. Companies like Testfire Labs are helping ensure they’ll meet that goal. Testfire Labs has created an artificially intelligent “assistant,” called Hendrix.ai that can listen in on meetings via microphone and take minutes and create and distribute meeting summaries complete with questions, answers and action items. 

Drivewyze is another Edmonton-based start-up that is on a quest to make highway weigh/inspection stations obsolete. It uses software, cloud computing and electronics installed in all new trucks to collect and transmit relevant data to the inspectors beforehand. Drivewyze’s Edmonton office has grown to 100 employees, most of them computer specialists.  

At Raise, our team of talented Hiring Experts in our Calgary and Edmonton offices keep their fingers on the pulse of Alberta’s job market and can help you explore available opportunities in a variety of industries.

If you’re interested in learning more about the positions that we are currently recruiting for in Alberta, use our Canada Job Search tool and filter the State/Prov column to Alberta. 

11 Trends That Could Rock Your Work World By 2030