The Pulse
Aug. 26, 2026

An Edmonton-based experimental artist who uses AI in his creative process is disappointed that his music is no longer welcome on CKUA's airwaves. And Canada's first public radio station finds itself trying to walk a fine line as it develops a formal AI policy.

The story of Ryan McCourt, a sculptor who also creates music under the name The Synthesist, raises a very modern question: In an age when studio-grade music can be produced through the click of a few buttons, what should be played on the radio?

In January, McCourt was overjoyed to hear his music played on Discoveries, an eclectic show hosted by Leo Cripps. "My music was the first thing played, and … I'm over the moon about that," McCourt recalled to Taproot.

In late May, McCourt made a donation to CKUA to directly support an hour of programming for Cripps's show. He provided a list of suggested songs, including two tracks from The Synthesist, created with the help of generative AI. (After this story was published, CKUA clarified that donors may not request a song that benefits themselves or a family member, due to charitable donation rules set by the Canada Revenue Agency.)

On June 2, Cripps wrote to McCourt to say CKUA's policy was to refrain from airing AI-assisted music, conceding that the station was still discussing AI's place in the world of art and music. This surprised McCourt, noting that such a policy did not appear to be publicly available, nor was there a definition of what constitutes AI-generated music. He also felt a blanket ban on music interfered with hosts' autonomy to select music for their programs.

"I have no argument with Leo because he's … got a job to keep, so he's doing what's required of him by his employers," he said. But he disagrees with CKUA's direction. "It's just giving incentive to people to not disclose that sort of thing, to not be honest about it."

On June 11, CKUA published a statement about AI-generated music. Following "conversations internally and with our community, we have made the decision to not knowingly play AI-generated music on CKUA," the statement says, noting CKUA's commitment to supporting artists and art workers. "Playing AI-generated music raises broader questions around authenticity, attribution, copyright, and the value we place on human creative expression." The statement goes on to say that CKUA is developing a formal policy that will be shared "when it is ready."

Listeners on "both fronts" of the AI debate are seeking clarity about CKUA's stance, content director Arianne Smith-Piquette told Taproot. The line between AI as a tool and AI as a replacement for the artist is one of the nuances that CKUA aims to make clear in its policy. And since the policy would affect CKUA's entire organization, including departments that use AI tools to maximize efficiency, CKUA is taking its time to get it right, she added. "I don't have an (estimated time of arrival) on it right now."

Smith-Piquette maintains that human creation must remain at the core of music at CKUA. However, defining what "human creation" means can be elusive. McCourt said he used Suno, a system that generates music from human prompts. Suno has landed Anthropic in legal trouble over the materials it was trained on and has resulted in a flood of AI-generated music on streaming services. McCourt said he also took time and care to edit and splice tunes together, using less controversial tools such as GarageBand.

"There's tons in the whole production experience that I went through that is on the cutting room floor," McCourt said. "It's not just like, 'Please make me a song,' (and) boop, a song comes out."

• In a public hearing on Aug. 25, Coun. Michael Janz wondered aloud whether Edmonton should cease approving new social services until other municipalities in the region start "pulling their weight." He cited a March 2026 memo that indicated there are zero emergency shelter beds open permanently to the general public in the municipalities surrounding Edmonton. Spruce Grove has 30 emergency shelter beds that are only open during extreme cold weather, and there are no other such beds in 12 municipalities around the city. Morinville and Strathcona County each have 35 beds for people fleeing domestic violence, while St. Albert has two day spaces for people experiencing homelessness. "It just feels like Edmonton is being used as the blood bag for the rest of our region and the rest of our province," Janz said before voting on a rezoning application to allow the Hope Mission to turn its support facility in the Girard industrial area into a year-round emergency shelter. Council approved the rezoning.
• Edmonton's infrastructure committee will consider a recommendation to proceed with 13 planned active transportation routes and remove 14 others from the city's $100-million active transportation network expansion. Administration proposes prioritizing routes that do not remove vehicle lanes or parking, citing rising complaints and possible provincial changes to the Traffic Safety Act. Coun. Ashley Salvador plans to propose continuing the expansion as approved.
• The federal government announced a $51.2-million low-interest loan for the Gilbertson Block, a 199-unit rental building in Mill Woods with many units planned as affordable housing. Rohit Group is building the six-storey project with Covenant Health as part of the larger Covenant Wellness Community, with completion expected in late 2027.
• The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating a fatal shooting involving two Edmonton Police Service officers in west Edmonton. Officers shot a 57-year-old man after he advanced toward them with scissors while they responded to a weapons complaint at a hotel near Stony Plain Road and 178th Street.
• The Edmonton Pride Festival said a bomb threat prompted more visible police security at its Aug. 22 parade, though police deemed the threat not credible and organizers said it did not increase the number of officers deployed. Executive director Trevor Watson apologized to those who felt unwelcome amid criticism of the police presence and said organizers will hold mediation with affected communities this fall.
• Edmonton Expo organizers said limited non-stop service between Edmonton and Los Angeles contributed to four of 30 scheduled celebrities cancelling ahead of the Sept. 18 to 20 event. In a statement, the Edmonton International Airport said there are six direct flights to Los Angeles, and it "remains focused on strengthening Edmonton's connections to Los Angeles and other key markets."
• Emissions Reduction Alberta will invest $15.7 million in five Edmonton-based projects. The funding will support Azolla Hydrogen's hydrogen-refuelling system, Mangrove Lithium's low-carbon concrete material, Quantiam Technologies's low-emissions methanol technology, VulcanX Energy Corp.'s low-emission hydrogen-production technology, and Zylotex's cellulose materials made from agricultural residues.
• Recovery Alberta had informed staff it would permanently close the voluntary addiction treatment program at the 62-bed Henwood Treatment Centre, sources told the Investigative Journalism Foundation. The facility, the largest provincially run voluntary addiction treatment centre in the Edmonton region, closed in June after flooding and had almost 600 people on its waiting list when it stopped accepting applications. The province said the facility is closed "for the foreseeable future" while it assesses the damage.
• Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney said Canada should keep oil and gas exports as potential leverage in the U.S. tariff dispute. "They should be mindful that if they really want to escalate, it will not end well for the American economy two months before mid-term elections," Kenney said, though he conceded that cutting off exports is not feasible.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Community Coffee Takeover: TELUS World of Science starting at 9am at Edmonton Unlimited
• Tech For Good Alliance Working Group starting at 4pm at Arcadia Brewing Co.
• Fuckup Nights YEG starting at 5pm at ArtsHub Ortona
• Tree Health with Emily Neis starting at 5:30pm at McCauley Community Orchard
• The Unordinary starting at 6pm at The Bell in Scona
• Guns N' Roses: World Tour 2026 starting at 6:30pm at Commonwealth Stadium
• Opera al Fresco starting at 6:30pm at University of Alberta Botanic Garden
• FalconFest starting at 6:30pm at Bin 104
• MURDER PLOT! starting at 7pm at Varscona Theatre
• Garden Concert: Brianna Lizotte starting at 7pm at Anglican Parish of Christ Church
• The Last 1.5 Librarians North of Lethbridge starting at 9pm at Grindstone Theatre

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Sept. 2: IndigiRise Pitch Night & Networking Event at Edmonton Unlimited
• Sept. 5: New Jubilee Forest Tours at New Jubilee Conservation Land
• Sept. 8: By Strength, We Are Still Here: Conversations on Truth, Reconciliation, and Responsibility

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

Test your crossword prowess and deploy a little of your Edmonton knowledge. Complete the puzzle.

Taproot spoke to 6-Across earlier this summer.