Finding a way to capitalize on the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) was one of the goals of Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade, who spent time in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
“At the show last year, I may have heard ‘AI’ five times,” he says. “This would have been five times every minute this trip. Everybody is realizing the power of AI and we need to be positioned to make sure that our students that we’re training, our employees that are being trained understand the power of AI and how it’s going to change the future.”
One example is how vehicles will be in the not-so-distant future.
“I saw the examples of these autonomous vehicles that sort of do the thinking for you,” he says. “It scared the pants off me but it’s there and we need to be ready for it and find out how to capitalize on it for Northern Ontario.”
Another focus of the show was batteries. “We’re in a great position in Northern Ontario from the critical minerals,” says Fedeli. “Every single booth had something that needed a battery whether it’s an electric vehicle battery or batteries for consumer products.”
With 85,000 employees working in the field, Fedeli adds Ontario is a real centre for AI around the world.
Fedeli, who travelled to CES as part of a trade mission, also spent time in California at the Biotech Showcase.
With files from Richard Coffin