As the industry increasingly embraces artificial intelligence (AI), Saskatchewan Polytechnic has become a founding member of Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan (AiSK).
AiSK is a non-profit group aiming to foster the growth of the AI sector in Saskatchewan and explore how AI innovations can benefit the province.
“Really, our goal is to help with the adoption of AI in Saskatchewan and ensure our businesses and organizations are becoming more familiar with how they could use AI,” said AiSK founder and interim executive director Alex Fallon.
AiSK intends to bring together industry leaders, educational institutions and governing bodies to serve as a “one-stop shop” for AI in the province.
The organization’s advisory board already includes members from the University of Saskatchewan, Economic Development Regina and the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.
Fallon said it made sense to have Saskatchewan Polytechnic involved as it continues to collaborate with industry on integrating AI into the workforce.
“Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan wants to ensure we’ve got educational institutions, industry, government and members of the public involved. We want to be a hub for everyone, including our post-secondary institutions,” he said.
Terry Peckham, director and research chair for Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Digital Integration Centre of Excellence (DICE), said his role is to work with companies across Saskatchewan to adopt digital technologies.
He said AI is a technology that is here to stay and will likely become a significant part of daily life.
“Kind of like how electricity impacts our lives, I think AI will impact our lives going forward—probably in ways we don’t even see or realize—but it’s going to happen,” said Peckham.
AI has been a controversial topic among post-secondary institutions, with concerns about cheating through AI applications. However, Saskatchewan Polytechnic has embraced the technology.
Peckham said ChatGPT has “opened Pandora’s box” regarding the potential of AI technology. As a post-secondary institution, he said the goal is not only to teach how AI can be used in industry but also how to use it appropriately.
“As a post-secondary institution, we’ve got a couple of responsibilities. Number one: how do we help the industry engage with AI in a meaningful, purposeful way that’s valuable to companies? And secondly, how do we train students? Because, like it or not, it’s part of the fabric of life now,” he said.
As part of the partnership, Saskatchewan Polytechnic is contributing $35,000 per year over the next three years to AiSK to host events, hold industry roundtables, and deliver programs and services to advance AI adoption in Saskatchewan. AiSK is planning to hold an artificial intelligence expo in June.
To learn more you can visit AI Saskatchewan’s website or Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s DICE website.