The AI engine supports a self-operating building that requires no human intervention. What inspired you to launch BrainBox AI? My journey into HVAC technology began while working on energy efficiency projects throughout North America and Europe. During this stage of my life, I dealt with the technology in a plethora of buildings. These were buildings of different sizes and purpose, anything from hotels all the way to data centers. It quickly became apparent to me that continuous commissioning approaches would generate consistent energy savings but would require extensive amounts of both financial and human capital.

The transformative power of artificial intelligence has come to preoccupy big business and government as well as academics. But as AI's potential sinks in, a growing number of policy experts -- along with some leading figures in technology -- are asking tough questions: Should these cutting-edge algorithms be regulated, taxed or even, in certain cases, blocked? Consider what AI can do in the workplace. For example, managers realize that office politics, stress and other pressures take a toll on employees. They also know that standard-issue job-satisfaction surveys "don't provide a true gauge of what's going on" around the water cooler or in the staff lunchroom, says Jonathan Kreindler, Chief Executive Officer of Receptiviti.ai.

Fuelled by unprecedented international investment, groundbreaking advances in artificial intelligence and inclusive immigration policies, Canada's innovation economy has seen explosive growth. In fact, over the last five years, the Greater Toronto Area's tech sector grew by more than 50 per cent. Now with more than 241,000 employees, the GTA has become an innovation powerhouse on par with cities like New York and Seattle. And VC investment in Canadian startups reached record levels (in the first half of 2019 alone, nearly $3.3 billion investments were made), and the Deutsche Bank ranked Canada as the best country in the world for social entrepreneurship. But while things might be looking up here at home, the world faces unprecedented challenges as we head into the next decade.

Located in Toronto's downtown core at MaRS Discovery District, the new Samsung AI Centre will contribute to building the connected future by accelerating the adoption of intelligence on multiple devices ranging from household appliances to cars. The Toronto AI Centre is a part of a network of research Centres dedicated to research and development in the field of AI. The Centre is the second Samsung AI Centre to be established in North America, with the other in Mountain View, California. The North America AI Centres are led by senior vice president, Dr. Larry Heck, a renowned expert in machine learning for spoken and text language processing, who also co-leads the expansion of Samsung's AI Centres around the globe. "Toronto and the GTA are epi-centres of machine learning and one of the world's foremost hubs for AI research and development. Home to not only world-class talent, but also some of the most innovative start-ups in the artificial intelligence field," said Dr. Larry Heck, Co-Head of Global Artificial Intelligence Research.

This is the second in a three-part series reporting from Toronto's booming Artificial Intelligence sector where new technologies are being pioneered that will permanently change all of our lives Just 45 seconds in the company of scientist Frank Rudzicz and his machines is all it takes to determine whether or not you are suffering from Alzheimer's disease. In that time, the complex Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms that the 37-year-old and his team have developed are able to pick apart your voice and predict the severity of the disease to an accuracy of around 82 per cent (and rising). First, there is your actual use of language. Alzheimer's sufferers tend to leave longer pauses between words, prefer pronouns to nouns (for example, saying "she" rather than a person's name) and give more simplistic descriptions, such as a "car" rather than the model or make. Then there is what Rudzicz calls the "jittter and shimmer" of speech; variations in frequency and amplitude.

You probably know that by 2022 an estimated 5 million jobs worldwide will be lost to AI-enabled automation technologies. You probably also know that Oxford University says that 47 percent of American jobs are at risk of being automated, and you probably know two or three more harrowing statistics along the same lines. But did you know that AI is able to spot genetic diseases that human doctors can't detect? Or greatly reduce power consumption using smart energy grids? Or educate children with hyperpersonal teaching techniques?

Accenture Becomes Founding Sponsor of Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Toronto Institute Supported by Canadian, Ontario governments, Industry, and University of Toronto TORONTO; Mar. 30, 2017 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) announced it is a founding sponsor of the new Vector Institute for artificial intelligence (AI) in Canada. The relationship is based on a shared mission to identify new business models for artificial intelligence and to position Canada as a global leader in the digital era. The goal of the new Vector Institute – a non-profit enterprise funded by industry and the federal and Ontario governments – is to help build and maintain Canada's position at the scientific forefront of the global shift to artificial intelligence (AI). Together with industry and educational organizations including the University of Toronto, the Vector Institute will promote and nurture Canadian talent and research excellence in deep learning and machine learning, and actively seek ways to enable and sustain AI-based economic growth in Canada. Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau wears Accenture's AI-enabled DAQRI Smart Helmet during the launch of the Vector Institute for AI at the MaRs Discovery District in Toronto, Ont.

Canada, with nine percent of the world's forests, is a land of plenty. As well as an enviable array of natural resources, Canada also boasts incredible support for entrepreneurs, both homegrown and international. Many household names, such as Slack, Hootsuite and Shopify -- which may be mistakenly considered as U.S. products -- hail from north of the border. This proves Canada is capable of delivering on startup success. And it's no surprise that startups excel in the country. Sure, there is less access to VC funding and the persuasive call of Canada's southern neighbor, but the Canadian government is working hard to build and keep successful startup ecosystems. There is a huge selection of government aid available to small businesses, some of which includes grants that don't have to be paid back.

With artificial intelligence set to transform our world, a new institute is putting Toronto to the front of the line to lead the charge. The Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, made possible by funding from the federal government revealed in the 2017 budget, will move into new digs in the MaRS Discovery District by the end of the year. There, scientists will aim to attract and retain top global talent while working on software that mimics -- and may one day surpass -- human intelligence. Vector's funding comes partially from a $125 million investment announced in last Wednesday's federal budget to launch a pan-Canadian artificial intelligence strategy, with similar institutes being established in Montreal and Edmonton. 'I think this truly is Canada's moment and we would be foolish not to take advantage of it,' said Canadian Institute for Advanced Research CEO and president Dr. Alan Bernstein.