Weytkp. Bonjour. Hello everyone,
A colder week. While Sun Peaks is a gift, I’m also looking forward to longer, sunnier days and exploring more of the quiet places our region has to offer. Last year, a favourite was floating along Tranquille Canyon. This year, more to discover amongst our gorgeous grasslands, rolling hills and lakes.
Since my last update
Our work on the Safe Start Framework continues. This week, TRU horaizon and our faculty’s innovative use of AI in the classroom was featured on Castanet and picked up by Academica’s Top Ten. Academica is widely read across Canadian higher education. Being featured there reflects the momentum we’re building, and that we’re building the right things. One commenter noted our work could “serve as a role model for universities.” Thank you to Anila Virani, Anthony Aighobahi, Carrie Vosey and Le Quan Nguyen for making this happen.
Safe-Start Framework is TRU’s baseline for how we use AI responsibly. AVP, Digital Strategies and CIO, Information Technology Services, Matthew Norton and AI and Automation Manager Shika Vats will be hosting weekly Lunch ‘n’ Learns starting on March 25. Please be sure to add the dates to your calendar as they are announced.
Our Learning and Development pillar is gaining momentum. We’ve been exploring and expanding what’s possible through listening and feedback sessions with colleagues and students. The goal is to meet people where they are to boost AI comfort — whether through resources, learning circles, mentorship or something else entirely. The team will have more to share soon.
Our Game Changers pillar is about building first-of-a-kind tools at TRU, for TRU, in areas where we already lead. We’ve begun conversations with the Sustainability Office to explore collaborations in the LCDES, at our data centres, on campus and beyond. TRU has earned its reputation on sustainability, and all AI work will be budgeted into our net zero commitment. Like all powerful tools, AI has an environmental footprint and we have a responsibility to weigh our use (consumption) honestly against our impact and remain good stewards of what we’ve been entrusted with.
What’s happening beyond TRU?
New research from Anthropic tracks how AI is actually being used across 800 occupations, not just what it could theoretically do. There is no unemployment spike yet. The bigger shift is quieter: AI is absorbing routine sub-tasks, making room for higher-judgment work. Hiring of younger workers in exposed fields has slowed slightly and is worth watching.
BC’s 2025 Labour Market Outlook tells a similar story for our region. Thompson-Okanagan can expect 110,500 job openings over the next decade, with no significant AI employment impact projected. What stands out: 77% of those openings require some form of post-secondary credential. For a dual-sector institution like TRU, that is a big opportunity.
This isn’t a story of mass displacement. It’s a story of reorganization. A teacher can have AI review an essay, but AI cannot manage a classroom. An analyst can have AI draw trends from some numbers, but AI does not have the judgement to understand the context. The question isn’t whether AI will change work — it’s which parts, and what that means for the skills we build and protect. That is, and has always been, the gift of a TRU experience.
Til next time
Over the coming weeks, you’ll see more TRU horaizon and Safe Start content across campus — TRU Connect posts, resource highlights and informal drop-in sessions. We invite you all to join us and learn.
Xyemstwécw. We respect each other, the land, knowledge and the peoples of our region. That commitment continues to guide how we approach new technologies and their impact on our community.
Please continue sharing your questions or suggestions at horaizon@tru.ca.
Kukwstsétselp. Merci. Thank you,
Andrea Li
Special Advisor to the President on AI
Questions: horaizon+andrea@tru.ca