WORKING SMARTER
protecting intellectual property, Moroz says. “The incredible work going on here in Manitoba isn’t always protected. It’s sometimes given away or shared in ways that then reduce the opportunity for the individuals who created it — and the Manitoba economy to benefit from it. That’s such a foundational piece of the work that needs to be done here to protect our businesses, our researchers and our innovators and help them grow business to the level they should be,” Moroz says. “As a government, we’re of course also very concerned that no technology in a sense is neutral. So we’re very aware of the fact we need to have a regulatory framework that allows us to protect people from the potential harms of AI.” In addition to the official task force members, Minister of Advanced Education and Training Renée Cable has been joining some of their discussions. Her perspective has been valuable, especially because a capable workforce will be a crucial part of helping move Manitoba forward. “We know the talent piece is going to be big. It affects every business, every industry and our province too. We need to attract, and also retain, key people and key talent in Manitoba if we’re going to make sure it continues to be a great place to work and to live,” Buelow says. “The work we’re doing here isn’t isolated: this is happening in jurisdictions across the country, across the world. Everyone’s trying to figure out what the future of work looks like. How does it impact me as a business owner? As an employee? And as a citizen? Those are really important questions that we’ve all kept in mind as we’re putting this report together.” Leading the charge The task force also includes Adam Herstein, partner at Pitblado Law; Jacqueline Keena, managing director with Enterprise Machine Intelligence Learning Initiative; Gerry Price, president of Price Industries; Prof. Gautam Srivastava, professor of computer science at Brandon University; and Dr. Ernest Cholakis, founder of Cholakis Dental Group — a group that has impressed Balsillie, the only member from outside Manitoba. “The task force members, the staff, civil servants, the politicians, they've all been exceptional. It's just a can-do attitude and a great sense of service,” Balsillie shares. “I think it's going to be a very constructive report that will be very helpful for the province and to others and beyond. I think this will set a standard.” ■ “We know the talent piece is going to be big. It affects every business, every industry and our province too.” — Clara Buelow, director of marketing and communications, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce
Chambers of Commerce’s director of marketing and communications, are co-leading the consultations to learn how businesses and organizations will be influenced by the new digital economy, engaging with government agencies and experts from industries ranging from aerospace to agriculture. “This isn’t just about the tech industry — it’s about all industries and how tech influences them. Innovation is really about asking, ‘How do we make things better? How do we make things more smooth and efficient? How do we deploy innovation in existing companies that are here to grow, build and stay?’” Buelow says. “As we dug deeper and deeper, we put together a growing list of key industry organizations, sector councils and also some key companies to connect with about how they’re using AI and other technology in their business, what opportunities do they see, what they’re missing and what they want.” The sector feedback has been invaluable in guiding the creation of the strategic plan, says Minister Moroz. “We’re so impressed with the business community’s response to our questions and to how thoughtful and forward-thinking they’ve been,” Moroz shares. “We’ve got tremendous things happening here in Manitoba, and we don’t always do a very good job of telling the story about the people and their work, their progress or their research. So we want to do that better.” Embracing efficiencies The province has shown its support for emerging technologies such as AI through commitments like the $2-million in funding it announced earlier this year for the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce in partnership with The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce to help Manitoba businesses identify cases for using AI in their work to help boost productivity. Another key area of focus for the task force is around educating people about the importance of
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WINTER 2025
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