Weyt-kp. Bonjour. Hello everyone,
The last couple of weeks have been busy in the AI space with Upper Bound, the CFJC interview series featuring our faculty members, Telus’ announcement in Kamloops and more. In our last update, we reflected on the importance of stewardship – that the most important question we can ask about AI isn’t “What can it do?”, but “What are we responsible for?”
Stewardship gives us a frame that’s older and wiser than any technology: that power and accountability travel together, and that how we use something matters as much as whether we use it.
This week, I’d like to focus on learning. As we continue shaping TRU’s AI story, it’s learning that gives our perspectives roots – the kind of critical thought that means we can say not just what we think, but why. As you read this week’s post, I encourage you to ask yourself: “Where am I staying curious, and what can I do to further my knowledge?”. If you get stuck or have ideas, drop me a note: horaizon@tru.ca
Since my last update
AI and Robotics at TRU – Part 4 with CFJC Today
The fourth and final segment of CFJC Today’s AI and Robotics at TRU: Institutional Augmentation series is now available. Across four episodes, the series stayed grounded in what matters most – people. Students experimenting with ideas, faculty exploring applications and researchers connecting technology back to real-world challenges.
Thank you to everyone who participated, including @Pinder Nagra, @Yasin Mamatjan, @Anila Virani, @Brad Forsyth and many others across TRU and our community. You can watch Part 4 here.
Upper Bound 2026 by Amii
Last week I attended Upper Bound 2026, hosted by Amii – one of Canada’s three national AI institutes under the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, focused on research, education and community building across 57 partner universities. Given recent conversations at Senate and across our community, I was most curious about three themes. Here are my reflections:
Responsible AI and AI safety
Responsible AI starts with stewardship – and stewardship starts with curiosity. As Minister of AI and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon put it, it’s irresponsible to be “all pom poms” or “all pitchforks.” From a safety standpoint, we must be responsible across the entire AI stack – so our data stays on our lands, within our control and governed by local standards. TRU is ahead here. Our full stack approach to responsible AI goes beyond what most Canadian universities are doing right now.
A highlight was a session on Challenging Western Bias in AI, led by Indigenous and EdTech consultants from Elk Island Public Schools. It was a powerful reminder of the danger of worldview dominance in AI – and of why culturally-grounded approaches matter. As I reflect on TRU horaizon’s ambition for responsible AI leadership, I’m grateful for the Secwépemc partnerships and worldviews that @Garry Gottfriedson and the Office of Indigenous Education have generously shared. All of this will inform the work @Liesel Knaack @Brian Lamb, @Salli Carter @Priti Yadav and others are doing across campus as we develop TRU’s full suite of AI learning programs.
Data centres and energy
A significant theme at the conference was sustainability – particularly the balance between education, equity and infrastructure. The President of Mozilla made a compelling case for open-source as a path to broader value – going from “10 per cent to 10X” – and framed our collective responsibility as building “digitally healthy societies” through a sovereign, globally competitive AI ecosystem. The building blocks are here in Canada – energy, natural resources, researchers and talent.
As a university grounded in sustainability – both in the environmental sense and in the broader understanding that the well-being of generations to come is shaped by what we do today – these questions of infrastructure, energy and sovereignty are not abstract for TRU. They’re core to who we are.
A key focus for government right now is offering Canadians a safe, local alternative to US hyperscalers. The Head of Telus’ AI Factory spoke about the power of innovative ecosystems and working together – something that feels especially relevant given Telus’ recent announcement of new data centres here in Kamloops. There’s an opportunity for TRU to be part of that conversation, and we’re paying close attention.
AI in education
I sought out the Ambassador from the Global Council for Responsible AI and the founder of Skills4Good for conversation. They reinforced two things: a governance-centric approach is right – it gives everyone agency and keeps us all safe – and we must be clear on our why. At TRU, we always have been: we are student-first.
Business leaders were equally direct. One CEO put it plainly: “Standards are higher.” Judgment, curiosity and adaptability are among the traits employers value most when hiring. In my networking evening with AI advisors and innovation leaders from Amii’s post-secondary consortium, the message was consistent: the most important part of AI literacy is learning how to learn.
These perspectives complemented a panel I moderated at the ACEWIL and CACEE Conference. Lena, CEO of Dawson Group, was frank – it’s digital skills and the ability to use new AI tools that will set one new hire apart from another. Amanda, Partner at Avanti, added that post-secondaries and firms need to work together to bridge the gaps. And Nolan, CEO of Activation Labs, put it plainly: we shouldn’t shy away from innovation – but we have an equal responsibility to make sure people grow with it. The numbers back this up. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report predicts 170 million new jobs by 2030. While automation may displace 92 million existing roles, the report projects a net gain of 78 million jobs, driven by AI, the green energy transition and changing demographics.
Thank you to @Salli Carter and Larry Iles for the invitation to facilitate. I hope we continue these conversations in support of our students. Thank you, also, to @Heidi Milovick and @Adina Gray for stewarding the Amii relationship so well. There are rich opportunities ahead for faculty, students and collaborators beyond Gaglardi and TRU will continue to explore them.
Til next time
With convocation approaching, I keep thinking about how much universities are ultimately places of growth – not just for students, but for all of us. The world our graduates are stepping into is changing fast, and AI doesn’t change that fundamental truth. If anything, it raises the stakes. Our job is to make sure they’re ready: curious, grounded and equipped to lead with both capability and conscience.
That’s what stewardship means in practice. Not just holding things carefully, but growing them intentionally – bringing people with us, asking hard questions and being honest about our why. At TRU horaizon, that’s the work. And it starts with each of us.
Keep asking yourself: where am I staying curious, what can I do to further my knowledge, and how can I support those around me? As always, I’d love to hear from you: horaizon@tru.ca
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.
Kukwstsétselp. Merci. Thank you,
Andrea Li
Special Advisor to the President on AI