Provincial AI strategy could protect residents, scale Sask. workforce: advocates

As Canada rolls out its national artificial intelligence strategy, advocates in Saskatchewan are pushing for a provincial counterpart to further protect jobs and expand the region's tech workforce. The federal government unveiled its AI strategy on June 4, emphasizing scaling and securing the sector through six key pillars.

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And now the province can kind of look at that and ask, ‘How do we align to it? How does industry benefit from that strategy?’

Alex Fallon, founder of Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan (AiSK), welcomed the federal strategy, noting it provides much-needed clarity for the industry and academia. He believes Saskatchewan can now align its efforts with the national plan and identify how local industry can benefit. "Government supporting the tech sector is absolutely key to keeping our talent here and helping to attract talent and then really supporting startups and medium-sized companies to grow," Fallon said.

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Government supporting the tech sector is absolutely key to keeping our talent here and helping to attract talent and then really supporting startups and medium-sized companies to grow.

While provinces like Ontario and Alberta have established AI frameworks, Saskatchewan currently lacks one. Advocates argue this absence hinders the province's ability to safeguard employment and grow its AI talent pool. Kari Harvey, CEO of Innovation Saskatchewan, stated that the province supports AI adoption and assists businesses in doing so safely. "Saskatchewan is taking a responsible and coordinated approach to AI adoption, supporting practical use across government and our economy," Harvey said.

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Saskatchewan is taking a responsible and coordinated approach to AI adoption, supporting practical use across government and our economy. Through collaboration with ecosystem partners, we are supporting AI literacy and helping deliver practical learning opportunities so Saskatchewan businesses can adopt AI safely and in ways that match their size, capacity and business needs.

Phillip Harder, VP of Data Science at Croptimistic, an agriculture technology company, views AI as a valuable tool but cautions against viewing it as a "silver bullet." He highlighted the costs associated with integrating AI into businesses. Croptimistic was recognized by AI Minister Evan Solomon for its use of AI in agriculture, a sector where Saskatchewan sees significant potential. Fallon added, "I think the real opportunity for AI in Saskatchewan is how we apply it to our key sectors. So, using AI in mining operations, in farming, agriculture, and manufacturing, I think that’ll be a strength where Saskatchewan can play in the AI space."

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There’s a lot of hype that’s gone into AI, and it becomes a silver bullet, but it’s just the reality that it’s another tool, right? And we still need to learn how to use it.