Some key takeaways from the AI-CADEMY Conference

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the first Canadian AI-CADEMY AI in Higher Education Conference in Calgary, hosted by Higher Education Strategy Associates.

The event brought together educators, researchers, and industry experts to explore the evolving role of artificial intelligence in post-secondary education.

There were many take-aways, but perhaps the biggest one for me was the critical need we all have, not just higher education, for massive investments to develop Canadian technology infrastructure. We need the plumbing to be able to safely and securely develop solutions to our problems and we simply cannot continue to rely on U.S. based vendors.

If we are at all concerned about national sovereignty let alone data sovereignty, we must invest in infrastructure in this country, and in Canadian companies that can provide comparable services to Canadians.

As the sobering deterioration of our bilateral relationship with the U.S. over the past few months has so powerfully demonstrated, we put ourselves at risk depending on foreign companies to provide the technology infrastructure we need to continue to grow and prosper as a sovereign nation.

A few other key takeaways from the event (and these next 2 bullet point sections are AI generated summary of my notes that I ran through a small language model running on my desktop on LM Studio).

• AI Literacy is Essential – Both students and educators require training in AI to navigate its opportunities and challenges.
• AI Policy Development is Urgent – The “wild west” of AI policies in higher education needs more standardization.
• Ethical AI Must be Prioritized – Equity, inclusion, and Indigenous perspectives must guide AI implementation.
• AI’s Role in Reducing Faculty Workload is Promising – Tools like chatbots and automated instructional design can free up time for more meaningful student engagement.
• Further Research is Needed – Organizations like AMII and the Conference Board of Canada are conducting valuable studies that institutions should engage with.

AI-Powered Learning Tools and Initiatives

Various sessions showcased emerging AI applications in education:

• Cogniti and Aura – AI-powered tutor bots that support student learning. Cogniti looks especially interesting. Open source developed by the University of Sydney in Australia.
• Syllabot (ASU) – A chatbot designed to reduce faculty workload by addressing syllabus-related inquiries.
• UBC’s Future Digital Learning Initiative – A three-pillar strategy focusing on listening to students and faculty, developing AI training hubs, and fostering experimentation through tools like the LLM Sandbox.
• Dreamscape Learn AI (ASU) – A virtual learning environment integrating AI to enhance student engagement.