SASKATOON — Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan founder Alex Fallon says the province is well-positioned to become a national leader in applying AI to agriculture, mining and other resource industries.
AI Saskatchewan was formed almost two years ago and is a non-profit organization that champions the growth of AI so that sectors and industries in the province can benefit from it.
Fallon told SaskToday that there is growing public interest in AI, with the technology becoming an increasingly important part of everyday life, especially in business. Initially, AI was expected for software developers, entrepreneurs and technology startups to form the bulk of its membership.
"We were pleasantly surprised that people from other sectors got involved. Professional services, accounting, lawyers, consultants, tax advisers, then companies from agriculture, mining started getting involved as well,” said Fallon.
He believes AI is strengthening Saskatchewan's technology ecosystem — with companies such as Vendasta and Bell’s planned investment in a data centre — by lowering barriers for entrepreneurs launching new companies and incorporating artificial intelligence into their products and services.
"AI is only helping to increase the strength of the Saskatchewan tech sector. The key issue is can we attract more tech talent and keep tech talent here,” said Fallon, who added that the province's technology sector will continue to grow.
He is also optimistic about Saskatchewan becoming a leader in adopting AI in other industries in the province because of its resource-based economy, anchored in agriculture, mining potash, copper, uranium and other critical metals and minerals, oil and gas, and forestry.
Fallon said AI will improve productivity across the agriculture, mining and other industries in the province, help grow the natural resources sector, and make them more efficient, while also becoming a routine tool for residents managing daily tasks, such as writing emails or managing their calendars.
He is also predicting that AI, beyond Saskatchewan, will accelerate advances in aviation and space exploration by dramatically reducing the computing costs required for future missions and technological advancements.
Though still years away, he sees AI expanding from helping people complete everyday tasks to enabling breakthroughs once considered science fiction. He then addressed concerns that AI could eliminate jobs, arguing that history showed technological advances created more employment opportunities.
"Artificial intelligence, like any technology, will impact and change the economy and employment. Yes, absolutely it will affect jobs, but it'll be loss of jobs plus new jobs. I think overall it will create many more new jobs,” said Fallon, who added that some jobs will inevitably change or disappear.
He drew comparisons to previous technological shifts, such as the transition from horse-drawn transportation to automobiles that created entirely new industries, while the arrival of email transformed office work but also generated careers in information technology and software development. He sees AI following a similar pattern by reshaping work rather than replacing workers altogether.
