The Pulse: Sept. 18, 2025

As Alberta rushes to attract $100 billion in data centre investment, one ethicist wants us all — even people outside the artificial intelligence industry — to stop and think about what that means.

"This is a moment where we kind of have to look at all infrastructure and take a step back to think about, 'What are we building? Why are we building it? What's driving what?'" said Katrina Ingram, the founder and CEO of consultancy and training organization Ethically Aligned AI. "Everybody seems to be just running full steam ahead."

Ingram is taking ethical AI discussions beyond the boardroom and into the community with a new community of practice focused on responsible AI literacy.

"I am really interested in this idea of building a community around AI literacy for people to have these kinds of conversations at the level of just being a person or being a citizen," she told Taproot. "I'm really passionate about this idea of broadening out that conversation and having these kinds of discussions (outside the workplace)."

As part of her ongoing effort to bring such questions to regular people, Ingram published a satirical blog post that proposes turning the struggling Edmonton City Centre mall into "Edmonton City Data Centre."

"Imagine AI as the digital beating heart of the city," she wrote with tongue in cheek. "Some have proposed that this site be turned into housing. A data centre would be like housing for our digital 'co-workers.' Who knows, maybe once the singularity is unleashed, we all may 'live' in this new 'housing' project as digital versions of ourselves — vastly exceeding our city's density goals."

That's not a real project, but there are data centres in the works across the province. Those proposed for the Edmonton region include three by Beacon AI Centers, a company backed by New York-based Nadia Partners. They would be in Parkland County, Strathcona County, and Leduc County.

It's not that Ingram is against building data centres, but she hopes to inspire a more careful, measured approach. That's why the environmental impact of AI is one of the topics she's gauging interest in as she puts together the community of practice.

Evidence suggests data centres' power needs exceed Alberta's capacity, will increase emissions from burning natural gas to generate more electricity, and will require a lot of water for cooling, though data centres in the comparatively cool Alberta will require less water than, say, Meta's $10 billion project in Louisiana. Residents near a Meta-owned data centre in Georgia have claimed the facility disrupted their access to water, and Google faced criticism over water use in Mesa, AZ, before shifting to air cooling for a forthcoming data centre.

• The Edmonton Transit Service and Edmonton Aboriginal Seniors Centre unveiled a new art-wrapped bus on Sept. 17, featuring a design inspired by local Indigenous seniors. Shaped by their stories and wisdom, the design incorporates vibrant colours, sweetgrass, gathering places, and teepees. The bus will immediately enter regular ETS service across the city and display information about the seniors centre's services.
• Edmontonians should expect a slow count on election night for the Oct. 20 municipal election, with preliminary mayoral results likely unknown until Oct. 21. Returning Officer Aileen Giesbrecht explained that new provincial legislation requires all ballots to be counted by hand, unlike previous elections that used tabulators. Edmonton Elections is hiring about 1,000 additional workers for late-night counting. The change will increase the election's cost to taxpayers by an estimated $4.5-$4.8 million.
• The City of Edmonton has finalized new four-year agreements with the Edmonton Fire Fighters Union and the Edmonton Police Service Senior Officers' Association, securing contracts with all seven city unions until 2027. Council approved both deals this week after union members ratified them earlier. The agreements include annual wage hikes of 3.3-4%, along with improved health benefits and allowances. Union leaders said the deals provide fairness, certainty, and a collaborative path forward.
• The University of Alberta began offering tours of its unique trees on its campus in Edmonton. These tours showcase the diverse species of trees found across the university grounds, providing an opportunity for the public to learn about and appreciate the arboreal landscape.
• Residents in the Crystallina Nera neighbourhood in north Edmonton say they were blindsided by proposed extra units on single-family home plots. Developer Home Alkemist Ltd. plans to add three garden suites on eight properties, totaling 24 new units. Residents expressed concerns about parking, safety, and feeling misled about the neighbourhood's single-family vision. Home Alkemist CEO Amy Kim says the project aligns with city rezoning and includes extra parking, but residents claim a lack of transparency.
• A program offered by Aboriginal Counselling Services of Alberta is at risk of shutting down after the Alberta government denied renewal of $135,000 in funding. The Circle of Safety program, offering 16-week counselling sessions for women and children aged six to 16 impacted by violence, lost its funding, though the men's program was renewed. Executive director Keleigh Larson said the cut represents 15-20% of its budget. The Ministry of Children and Family Services said it received more than 200 applications for refreshed funding for family violence prevention programs, exceeding available resources.
• The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Alberta, representing educational assistants, said its members will not take on teachers' duties if the Alberta Teachers' Association proceeds with a potential strike by the Oct. 6 deadline. CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal said the union supports teachers in their efforts to improve classroom conditions and is advising union members to refuse overlapping work.
• The Edmonton Oilers are confident that captain Connor McDavid will remain with the team beyond this season. The organization believes McDavid, who has expressed a strong desire to win in Edmonton, is focused on securing the Stanley Cup. Coach Kris Knoblauch said McDavid's contract status is not a distraction. The Oilers begin their season Oct. 8 against the Calgary Flames.
• Alberta Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod expressed concern over the Alberta government's plan to add mandatory citizenship markers on driver's licences starting in late 2026. McLeod said her office was not informed, and she questioned the benefit versus privacy risks, particularly regarding sensitive information and the absence of a privacy impact assessment. Brendan Boyd, a political science professor at MacEwan University, also questioned the province's motives.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• ChatGPT: Using AI to streamline your Marketing Efficiency starting at 11am online
• How to Choose the Right CRM for Your Business (Even If You've Tried Before) starting at 1pm online
• YEG Sponsorship Social starting at 4pm at 9910
• The Growlery and Analog - Cask Beer Streetcar starting at 5:30pm at High Level Streetcar (Jasper Plaza Terminal)
• Opening reception for New Routes: threads across space and time starting at 6pm at Mitchell Art Gallery
• Korean Stories: Rooted in Hanji - Artist talk and reception starting at 6:30pm at Gallery@501

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Sept. 26: Let's Get Down(town) – 2025 Municipal Election Forum at MacEwan University (The Lookout)
• Sept. 27: Storytime Soirée at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Oct. 6-10: Wills Week

Visit the beta version of the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

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