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Alberta’s government is investing $10 million over the next three years into a new initiative aimed at improving patient care and modernizing the province’s health system through artificial intelligence technology.
The funding will support the newly created Health Innovation Lab, an initiative being delivered through the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii). The program is expected to support up to 12 projects annually focused on developing AI-powered tools and data-driven health solutions designed to improve patient outcomes and increase efficiency across the health care system.
According to the province, the initiative will focus on accelerating technologies that can help reduce wait times, expand health care capacity, improve diagnostics and strengthen treatment options for Albertans.
Minister of Technology and Innovation Nate Glubish said Alberta is uniquely positioned to combine leading AI expertise with medical innovation.
“Alberta has an enormous opportunity to bring together world-class medical innovators with the world-leading AI expertise at Amii,” Glubish said. “Together, they can develop new technologies that reduce wait times, expand the capacity of our health care system, and deliver new therapies, diagnostics and treatments that save lives and strengthen care for Albertans.”
Projects funded through the Health Innovation Lab will be selected through proposal submissions to Amii, with challenge calls aligned to provincial health-care priorities identified by the Alberta government.
Amii CEO Cam Linke said the program will help move Alberta-made AI research into real-world clinical use.
“Through the Health Innovation Lab, Amii is bridging excellence in research with excellence in care,” Linke said. “By translating our world-leading AI into clinical tools, we are empowering clinicians and patients to achieve an outsized impact.”
The Alberta government says its health-care system will serve as the first testing ground for these technologies, with hopes the innovations could eventually be adopted internationally, creating additional economic opportunities for the province.
The initiative is being delivered in collaboration with Alberta’s Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services and the Ministry of Hospital and Surgical Health Services. Officials say the program will include safeguards to ensure secure access to health data and compliance with Alberta privacy legislation.
Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services Matt Jones emphasized the importance of reliable data in strengthening health-care decisions.
“Clear, reliable data is essential to informed decision-making in the health care system, and this project delivers exactly that,” Jones said.
Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services Adriana LaGrange added that responsible AI investment will help prepare Alberta for the future of health care.
“By investing in innovation and the responsible use of AI, we can strengthen our health system and ensure Alberta is ready to lead in the next generation of health care,” LaGrange said.
The province says the investment further strengthens Alberta’s growing reputation as a leader in artificial intelligence research, application and commercialization.
Quick Facts
- Alberta is investing $10 million into the Health Innovation Lab over the next three years.
- The initiative is expected to support up to 12 AI-focused health projects annually.
- Projects will focus on developing, scaling and commercializing AI-enabled health solutions.
- Alberta’s government says project selection will align with provincial health system priorities.
To learn more about Amii, visit www.amii.ca.
Information for this article was sourced from the Government of Alberta website.
