Welcome to our digital becoming – it’s chaotic, it’s creative, and it’s unfolding right here in BC. We’re not just letting AI happen to us – we’re actively shaping its evolution. This is our moment to make technology truly serve humanity.
Every month I step into CBC’s Vancouver studio, grab the mic, and dive deep into the AI revolution with Stephen Quinn on The Early Edition. Our show “Sandboxing AI” isn’t your typical tech coverage – it’s raw dispatches from the frontlines of digital transformation, where theory meets practice and hype meets reality.
After 10 episodes exploring everything from sexy chatbots to Indigenous AI initiatives, from creative sector innovation to ethical frameworks, Stephen and I recently sat down for our 2024 wrap-up. The conversation that follows emerged from that session, but it’s more than just another year-end interview. It’s a manifesto for where BC is heading in this wild new landscape.
Through my work building custom AI tools, running Future Proof Creatives workshops, and connecting communities across Vancouver’s tech ecosystem, I’ve watched BC emerge as a unique force in the AI revolution. We’re not following Silicon Valley’s playbook – we’re writing our own, one that puts community values and human creativity at the center of technological innovation.
These are my field notes from the digital frontier, where federal funding meets grassroots innovation, where Indigenous wisdom shapes next-gen tech, and where we’re building something bigger than just another tech hub. This is the story of how BC is crafting its own AI future.
The Inside Out Revolution
Yo, let me paint you a picture of where we’re at in this wild AI moment. Remember when the internet was just a bunch of static pages and dial-up screams? Now we’re watching AI slip into every corner of our digital lives like fog rolling over Vancouver’s harbor – subtle, pervasive, transformative.
I’ve been in this game since the days of Netscape Navigator, and let me tell you – this shift hits different. We’re not just talking about fancy chatbots or image generators anymore. AI is becoming the invisible backbone of our digital existence, showing up in places you’d never expect. It’s suggesting email replies before your fingers hit the keys, it’s cleaning up your family photos without asking, and it’s helping entrepreneurs bootstrap entire brands from their laptops.
But here’s what really gets me stoked: We’re finally having the conversations that matter. This isn’t just about the tech anymore – it’s about values, community, and how we want to shape our collective future. I’m seeing artists who swore they’d never touch AI now using it to amplify their creativity. I’m watching small business owners harness these tools to compete with corporate giants. The democratization of AI isn’t just some tech bro buzzword – it’s happening in real time, right in front of us.
This is our moment to decide what we want this technology to be. Do we let it become another tool of digital feudalism, or do we grab the reins and steer it toward something more equitable, more creative, more human? That’s the revolution I’m here for.
ChatGPT’s Reality Check
Let’s talk about OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the AI that launched a thousand think pieces. When this thing dropped, it was like watching the first iPhone reveal all over again – jaws on the floor, predictions flying wild, everyone claiming it would either save or destroy humanity. Two years in, and we’re getting a clearer picture of what’s really going down.
Here’s the thing about generative AI – it’s like having a supremely confident intern who sometimes hallucinates their entire resume. Sure, it can help you bang out a first draft of pretty much anything, from marketing copy to Python code. It can riff on creative ideas faster than a jazz musician on espresso. But it’s not the digital messiah some predicted, nor is it the job-stealing demon others feared.
What we’re learning is that AI is more like a creative collaborator with occasional reality-bending tendencies. I’ve watched artists and writers go from “hell no” to “holy shit” as they discover how to use these tools to amplify their creativity rather than replace it. It’s not about letting AI take the wheel – it’s about learning to dance with it.
The real magic happens when you understand its limitations. That’s when you can start pushing boundaries, finding the sweet spots where human creativity meets machine intelligence. I’ve built dozens of custom AI agents this year, each one teaching me something new about this delicate balance between human intention and artificial capabilityhttps://kriskrug.co/2024/06/06/the-emergence-of-fabric-augmenting-human-potential-through-open-source-ai/.
Remember: ChatGPT isn’t the destination – it’s just our first real glimpse of where this road might lead.
The Growing Pains
Let’s get real about the stumbles and face-plants we’ve seen in AI land this year. These systems might sound confident as a tech CEO at a funding pitch, but they’ve got a wild imagination when it comes to facts. I’ve seen AI invent academic papers that never existed, create citations that live only in digital dreams, and confidently explain historical events that never happened.
But you know what? These “hallucinations” aren’t just bugs – they’re wake-up calls. They’re teaching us that AI isn’t some oracle of truth; it’s more like a mirror reflecting back our own information ecosystem, complete with all its glitches and biases. When you feed an AI system data that’s skewed by historical prejudices or corporate interests, guess what comes out the other end?
And let’s talk about the elephant in the server room: privacy. All these “free” AI tools are having an all-you-can-eat buffet with our personal data. I’ve watched companies slap AI features onto their products faster than you can say “terms of service,” while users barely understand what they’re giving away in return.
These growing pains aren’t just technical issues – they’re society-wide challenges that need community-driven solutions. That’s why I’m working with groups across British Columbia & the globe to build ethical frameworks that put humans first. We’re learning that the real cost of “free” AI might be higher than we thought.
The 2025 Vision
Alright, let me put on my cyberpunk prophet shades and paint you a picture of 2025. AI won’t be something we talk about like it’s special anymore – it’ll be as ubiquitous as electricity, humming quietly in the background of our lives. Your car will know you’re tired before you do, your fridge will optimize your grocery list to slash food waste, and your health apps will be predicting issues before they hit.
But here’s where it gets interesting: The real battle won’t be about the technology itself – it’ll be about control and accountability. We’re going to see a showdown between the big proprietary AI systems and grassroots, open-source alternatives. Communities will start demanding AI that reflects their values, not just Silicon Valley’s priorities.
I’m betting hard on local, community-driven solutions. Through my work with Future Proof Creatives and the Vancouver AI Community Meetups, I’m already seeing the seeds of this future. We’re building AI tools that serve real community needs, from Indigenous language preservation to environmental monitoring.
The tech will get more powerful, sure, but the real revolution will be in how we organize around it. Think less “Skynet” and more “digital community garden” – tools and systems that we cultivate together, for the benefit of all.
AI Education & Adoption in British Columbia AI Ecosystem
Our BC AI ecosystem isn’t some massive corporate machine – it’s more like a mycorrhizal network in the forest, you feel me? Small but mighty, connecting different species of thinkers: the academic deep divers, the creative edge-pushers, the environmental warriors.
We’re all about that open source life, sharing nutrients and knowledge through the underground. When we honor all these different ways of knowing – from computational to cultural, from academic to ancestral – that’s when we start seeing AI for what it could be: not just another extractive technology, but a tool for collective flourishing.
Let me tell you why I’m absolutely fired up about what’s happening in BC right now. We’re not just following the AI playbook written in Silicon Valley – we’re writing our own story. With federal funding flowing in from Trudeau’s government, we’ve got a real shot at building something different here.
I’m right in the trenches, applying for programs and connecting dots between universities, startups, and Indigenous communities. We’re not just talking about building another tech hub – we’re creating an AI ecosystem that reflects BC’s values of sustainability, diversity, and community-driven innovation.
The collaborations I’m seeing between SFU SIAT, UBC EML, the Centre for Digital Media, Circle Innovation, DigiBC and local AI innovators are mind-blowing. We’re setting up labs that feel more like community centers than sterile research facilities. We’re designing ethical frameworks that actually have teeth. And most importantly, we’re making sure that the benefits of AI development flow back into our communities.
This isn’t just about making fancy tech – it’s about using AI to tackle real challenges, from climate monitoring to preserving Indigenous languages. I’m stoked to be playing connector in this movement, bringing together activists, entrepreneurs, and wisdom keepers to ensure our AI future serves everyone, not just the usual suspects.
Welcome to the future – it’s weird, it’s wild, and it’s happening right here in BC…. AI isn’t just happening to us – it’s being shaped by us. And that’s something worth fighting for.
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