A path to Alberta’s Autonomous valley
By: Darryl Huet
Tags: Alberta, Smart Cities, AI, Entrepreneurship, Blockchain

The new decade marks the cusp of a systemic change in transitioning to a digital economy. Alberta is facing a difficult time of economic instability, and the Global Pandemic COVID-19. During difficult times, opportunities can arise, such as the emergence of a more robust technology industry. Currently, Alberta is strengthening its foundation through its innovation corridor that spans from Edmonton to Calgary. Our Innovation corridor could hold the path to building a stronger Alberta on the global stage and embrace the opportunities.

The vision

Alberta is already starting its transition to becoming a clean technology hub. Our province should embrace the possibilities available from Rural internet expansion. Over the next ten years will be part of the fourth industrialization revolution, the beginning of a rapid digital transformation period. To build an Alberta that uses technology and innovation as an enabler of prosperity in new industries and existing ones.

There needs to be collaboration throughout the people of Alberta. Whether you’re in the heart of the cities or a rural community, technology will improve your living quality. More specifically, economic opportunities and prosperity for Albertans of all ages. We can pioneer new sustainability models in agriculture, energy, entrepreneurship, public services, natural resources, and privacy. It’s a possibility that we can start working towards today, and here’s how:

Strengthening the data in our cities

Smart cities use IoT (internet of things) technologies to help improve standards of living, and efficiently use city resources. Data is the currency in the digital economy. Data such as map resources, business venues, neighbourhood packing, and anonymous transit ridership data could help build better communities. Introducing Open data initiatives in Edmonton and Calgary could help spur innovation and create new enterprises using this data to create value. The adoption of new technologies social enterprises could create incredible social value that could benefit our communities and Alberta. We also depend heavily on free-market initiatives and values. Such consortiums of organizations should help drive public-private partnerships to help engage the government and residents of Alberta. The expansion of government identification and confidential health records could help expand medical services throughout the province. We can start initiatives to build a digital environment for residents with Digital ID, healthcare cards, and public services. However, as we’ll talk more, we need strong privacy laws that enable such digitalization and the decentralization of individual data. Keeping our rights of freedom, right to privacy, and democratic foundations will be crucial in how we should structure our smart cities.

Utilizing a new type of worker

We will see the advancement of artificial intelligence in digital and physical environments during our ten-year timeline. Our current model of capitalism creates value in the form of profit through private and public enterprises. These models of our contemporary society will become unsustainable from an exponential rise in artificial labour. The current model is utilizing work at market prices for wages without a standard for equity opportunity.

The divide between wage earners and equity earners will be exacerbated naturally by automation. As individuals under capitalism, our incentive is to obtain & grow wealth. However, Alberta is in a position to change the status quo. For the first time, create value using AI, which doesn’t have incentives to fulfill. Meaning artificial intelligence will be one of the foundations in the digital economy. For our capitalist model to adjust, there needs to be slow systemic change in our markets and governance, but Alberta should lead that charge. We want to prepare by taking advantage of our existing and emerging industries to help build a diverse economy.

Technology will serve as the foundation for providing business services for data-driven organizations. As Adam Legge in April put it:

Technology is not necessarily a sector on its own – it’s an enabler of all other sectors. Jurisdictions that are able to grow and develop their technology and innovation capacity are going to be the ones that are high-growth jurisdictions.

Developing a technology ecosystem that enables not just existing industries but enterprises as a whole. Operations ranging from financial services, and customer relations management to strategies and sustainability with automation will complement many of our jobs, and increase productivity. But with the rise of data usage, and digital infrastructure becoming available will also spur the slow collapse of many of the barriers to venture creation. Those individuals that are looking to voyage into a small business or an entrepreneur looking to solve a global challenge. Technology makes it easier for you to create that organization, and Alberta should further pioneer those technologies and organizations.

Engaging in Systemic Change

Our models of society are the foundations of ecosystems and individual models of how we view the world. We are capable of changing these systems. In society, some systemic models benefit or hinder economic, social and environmental factors. Recently we have become more aware of our systems through the advancement of knowledge and technology. As we advance our society, there will need to be a slow, moderate systemic change that will allow for economic growth. Social adaptation to how we do business and understand organizations are changing. We also can contribute new initiatives that enable social innovation. A digital era means the steady adoption of new regulations to help sustain sustainable economic diversification. Environmental, social governance is an already emerging market force. Over the next decade will be many more emerging economic pressures, such as including all stakeholders in our organizations, such as employees, customers, and the economic, social and environmental systems of their surrounding operations. Sustainability should be our priority, and we’re already making strides in the energy industry. Systemic change is crucial over the decade to ensure the capability and prosperity of our free market. As well as providing once automation gains mass adoption, our society is ready to take steps to a sustainable path of growth and more opportunity for individuals.

Keeping our Young individuals, and their talent is going to be crucial in recognizing our goals. Our youth are driven not only by economic factors but also by social and environmental factors. To attract young talent and retain them, we need to embrace change in our mental models. Advancing regulations that would be good for our technology industry and the sustainable conservation of our natural landscapes.

So how do we change our regulations?

First, focusing on privacy, we need to slowly adapt our privacy laws to protect consumers’ data better. We could even go as far as helping enable a data-driven consumer economy. One that allows private-public partnerships to ensure the decentralization of data to individuals. Consumer data exploitation is unsustainable in a healthy market economy by collecting our data for no cost from our individuals. The market demand for data is growing, and ensuring a fair deal for consumers is critical to creating a sustainable market environment. The second focus is on better social enterprises. Social enterprises have grown out of urges to solve social issues. But adapting to use the market flexibility to gain profit to scale operations, and sustain self-sufficiency. Sprouting from the itch for further social development within economies globally. Alberta is in a suitable position to increase social innovation while transiting to a digital economy. Artificial intelligence will further increase new solutions that provide value to our economy, enterprises, and individuals throughout Alberta. Providing regulation that enables the creation of provincial jurisdiction of social enterprises, and starting initiatives could help these organizations. Market-based social enterprises could complement our public services with sustainable operations and efficiently tackle new challenges. Increasing business investment and confidence is a foundational piece in obtaining progress. Thus keeping a competitive business environment is critical to adopting entrepreneurs, startups, and established enterprises. Our province needs to construct social enterprise regulation. One that tells our communities, the rest of Canada, and the world that Alberta is ready to lead in market-based social innovation.

Conclusions

Whether we’re ready or not, the digital economy is coming, and an enthusiastic approach could put us in the position to develop tomorrow’s technological capabilities. The digital transformation will shift mental models, and various systems, and institutions. Our situation can only get better if we collaborate to build and sustain a new age of diversified economic expansion.