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Manitoba businesses implementing AI are getting help from the federal government’s AI strategy.
AI Minister Evan Solomon announced Tuesday that the Manitoba Construction Sector Council will receive more than $1 million through the Regional Innovation Ecosystem Program for drone and sensor libraries for small and medium-sized construction companies.
Solomon said the initiative “means small businesses will have access to on-the-job training and technical support on advanced equipment, and construction companies will have better data from the field to improve productivity, safety, planning and execution.”
Prairie Economic Development Canada will also provide interest-free loans totaling approximately $9 million for AI projects to five Manitoba companies under its Scale Up and Productivity Program. PrairiesCan is a federal department that supports Prairies business growth, innovation, and community economic development.
Taiv, which provides AI-driven technology to businesses that allows them to replace TV ads with local ads, has received $5 million in financing to help it grow.
ExpensePoint, an expense management platform that automates receipts, approvals, and reimbursements, receives approximately $2.3 million in financing to modernize its expense management platform that automates receipts, approvals, and reimbursements.
Mode40 receives an $800,000 loan to expand its business providing AI-powered factory control software.
Arival’s $500,000 loan will help the company hire staff, strengthen cybersecurity, and pursue new markets for its event and registration management platform for private and independent schools.
Construction Clock has received more than $470,000 in financing to implement AI technology into its products and services, including an AI-enhanced version of a tool that allows companies to automatically track staff hours worked.
Solomon announced the funding through the government’s AI strategy at a Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce event.
Chamber President Amanda Bouse asked the audience of about 200 people how many people use AI in their work every day, and most raised their hands.
Canada lags behind when it comes to the use of AI in business, but it has the potential to jump ahead, Chamber CEO Laurent Remillard said after the event.
Canada is falling behind: Chamber of Commerce CEO
Remillard said the chamber runs a program offering workshops on AI called the Manitoba AI Pathway, which is always sold out and has had about 600 participants so far.
He said Manitoba businesses have some work to do to make the most of the opportunities presented by AI.
“We are pretty much in line with the situation in this country, but we are behind other OECD countries.”
Canada is very wary of AI, in part because people fear it will replace their jobs, but Solomon and Remillard said there has been no experience of that so far.
A recent analysis by the Bank of Canada found that companies report that AI will have a limited impact on employment, but expect a mild negative impact over the next three years.
Solomon said the funding announced Tuesday will create 171 jobs.
“Just like a calculator, this is a tool. … It just allows us to operate more efficiently,” Remillard said of the AI.
“Accountants who use AI will be replaced by accountants who do not use AI.”
