Province's $50M for Amii to spur commercialization, adoption

The Alberta government will invest $50 million over five years into the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute. The sum is roughly equal to the total funding the province has given Amii over the preceding 24 years. Premier Danielle Smith made the announcement at Platform Calgary during the Calgary Stampede, alongside Evan Solomon, the federal minister of AI and Digital Innovation. Amii CEO Cam Linke said the investment will strengthen Alberta's AI ecosystem by supporting startups, accelerating AI adoption, and building AI literacy.

The funding will come from five different provincial ministries, which shows how big a role the organization plays in innovation, posted Nate Glubish, the provincial minister of technology and innovation. His ministry, as well as the Ministry of Advanced Education, are both contributing $15 million; the Ministry of Assisted Living and Social Services is contributing $10 million; the Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services and the Ministry of Education and Childcare are each contributing $5 million. "By aligning investments across multiple ministries, Alberta is helping ensure AI expertise, talent and innovation can be applied where they deliver the greatest value for Albertans," the province said in a news release.

The plan includes leveraging the new Alberta Intellectual Property Office, which aims to keep IP owned, protected, and commercialized in the province. Solomon said Alberta has been leading the way in commercialization, allowing companies to stay in the country, and he hinted at the need for sovereign compute power. "If we don't build the infrastructure here, we're going to have to rent it from someone else," he said. "If we don't build the innovation here, we're going to have to buy it from someone else. And if we don't make the rules here, we have to follow someone else's."