3 Key Takeaways from Upper Bound

Last month, Jason Hofley, our Director of Business Development, and Lindsey Monderman, our Product Innovation Manager, had the opportunity to attend Upper Bound, an annual artificial intelligence (AI) conference held by the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) for academics, business professionals, and enthusiasts leading the way in shaping a positive AI future.

Amii is one of Canada’s three centres of artificial intelligence excellence as part of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy. They are an Alberta-based non-profit institute that supports world-leading research in artificial intelligence and machine learning and translates scientific advancement into industry adoption.

For four days, Jason, Lindsey and five thousand other attendees from around the world gathered in Edmonton for AI-focused learning, discussion, debate and collaboration.

With 150+ programming sessions, Upper Bound brought together over 200 speakers with expertise in machine learning, neural networks, reinforcement learning, and other cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies.

Organized in an innovative silent disco-esque format, Upper Bound featured 3 speakers presenting concurrently on 3 conjoined stages all in same room at very same time. Listening through wireless headphones, attendees could then select the specific speaker sessions most relevant to their interests without distracting or detracting from the learning experience of others.

From groundbreaking application development to emerging industry trends to ethical considerations of AI development, here are Jason and Lindsey’s top takeaways and learnings from this year’s Upper Bound Conference:

1. AI = IA

   One of the most compelling points emphasized at Upper Bound is that artificial intelligence is an intelligence amplifier.

   While AI technologies have made significant strides—such as ChatGPT setting the record for fastest to 100 million users in just two months—they are not replacements for human intelligence. Instead, artificial intelligence actually enhances human capabilities.

   While generative AI may have an eventual impact on every industry worldwide, the human element will always remain a crucial piece of the business process. People and talent are the foundation that can be amplified with artificial intelligence.

   

2. Strategic Integration of AI at the Leadership Level

   To truly harness the power of AI, the technology must be integrated at the highest levels of an organization.

   AI strategy should be a top priority for CEOs and senior leadership teams across Canada—requiring dedicated funding and a clear understanding that AI differs fundamentally from previous tech trends.

   Successful artificial intelligence integration must align with business strategy, ensuring initiatives are driven by organizational goals rather than simply implementing technology for technology’s sake.

   This strategic approach helps foster alignment amongst teams, business processes, and technology——ultimately building a culture of trust and adoption.

   

3. Embrace AI Now Before It’s Too Late

   Adopting artificial intelligence requires a complete shift in mindset. Thought leaders throughout the conference highlighted the need for us to start thinking differently about how we do things.

   Canadian companies are typically more risk adverse and slow to adopt new technologies versus our American counterparts. However, as Canadians, we need a massive culture shift if want to start to take advantage of these emerging technologies. Collectively, we all need to become early adopters of new technology.

   Part of this transition also involves the training of teams in proper prompt engineering and assessing the validity and legitimacy of artificial intelligence outputs.

   Coupled with early testing and active involvement of key decision makers, trust builders, and champions across organizations, we can all contribute to creating a shared understanding of AI’s value that will ultimately drive successful adoption.

   

Think Big, Act Small, Start Now

While artificial intelligence presents limitless opportunity, it also comes with a unique set of risks and challenges. Despite the fear of AI adoption amongst many organizations, the transformative impact of artificial intelligence will continue to permeate every aspect of our personal and professional lives.

Technology and AI conferences like Upper Bound can help underscore the importance of a strategic, human-centric approach when it comes to adopting artificial intelligence technologies.

By amplifying human intelligence, championing technology at the leadership level, and embracing AI literacy and education, businesses can help set the stage for a future where artificial intelligence helps drive unprecedented growth and innovation.

Are you interested in learning how your organization can start implementing artificial intelligence into your business processes and workflows? We’d love to help you identify actionable ways to improve workplace productivity and efficiency with better automated technologies.

Connect with us here!