Specialized Immigration
The Government of Quebec turned to us to consult with the ecosystem's stakeholders on the subject of immigration
Check out this projectArtificial intelligence
AI: a key technology for Quebec's future
AI could be for Quebec today and tomorrow what hydroelectricity was for Quebec in the 1960s: an engine of social and economic development
What is AI?
The term “artificial intelligence” is used to describe machines or programs that are capable of exhibiting behaviors that are generally attributed to human beings, such as learning, understanding languages such as English or French, or solving complex problems. Machine learning techniques, advances in operations research (a discipline that aims to develop conceptual mathematical models to optimize decision making) and the explosion of computing power have recently led to remarkable breakthroughs in AI. These allow computers to improve their ability to perform tasks without being explicitly programmed to do so by a human.
Recent advances in AI have led to the development of increasingly powerful automatic translators; image recognition software capable of detecting skin cancer with the precision of a doctor; robots that can be given voice commands; vehicles that can drive themselves; applications capable of predicting how much a Montreal-Paris ticket will cost in three months; hate speech detection tools; etc.
We are interested in the development of AI and its responsible use because...
AI is an industry whose players have achieved sales of over $52 billion in 2019. The role of the Forum is first and foremost to foster the emergence, in Quebec, of AI giants that will make their mark around the world.
But AI is also a technology whose implementation could transform the industries and regions of Quebec. One of the Forum’s roles is therefore to help organizations appropriate AI in order to become more productive and innovative (to create new business models, products and services), which will generate wealth for all Quebecers.
We are working to stimulate demand
Forum helps AI solution providers gain access to and build strong relationships in promising markets
We improve players’ access to resources
The Forum helps organizations access the data, talent and other key resources they need to produce AI or benefit from AI.
We promote Quebec's strengths internationally
The Forum helps Quebec AI players export their products and services and attract AI world leaders to Quebec
The Benefits of AI
Economic
AI is expected to generate worldwide productivity gains of 0.8 to 1.4% per year by 2065 (in comparison, the invention of the steam engine resulted in an annual productivity gain of 0.3% between 1850 and 1910). As a result, AI’s contribution to the global economy is projected to reach $20 trillion by 2030. It’s as if 10 economies the size of Canada’s economy suddenly appeared on the planet!
The impact of AI on Quebec’s economy is..
More than $2 billion in investments in a few years
Including $1.5 billion in venture capital for startups such as Coveo and Hopper
The arrival of world-class technology companies in Quebec
Google, IBM, Microsoft, Samsung and others have created AI centers in Quebec
Societal
The impacts of the rise of AI will be felt in all sectors, not just the technology industry. Among other things:
- Farmers can use AI to control parasites while reducing the use of pesticides
- Tools such as speech recognition and text-to-speech will give 350 million people living with disabilities the opportunity to enter the job market
- New robots are being developed to capture the attention of children with special needs, including those with autism spectrum disorders
AI will impact Quebec society in sectors like...
Health
Using AI to analyze radiological images makes it possible to predict the genetic profile of certain cancers and avoid the need for surgical procedures that are often unavailable outside large urban centers
Education
Studies have shown that students learn a second language faster with services that rely on AI to customize lessons
The AI Ecosystem
Quebec’s AI ecosystem includes several hundred organizations – research centers, companies that produce AI, institutions that train tomorrow’s AI experts, support actors (e.g. venture capitalists) and other types of organizations.
We are working on a directory of the AI ecosystem. If you would like to be included, contact us.
See what we're doing for AI
Integration of AI by Quebec’s public administration
The Forum supports the government in organizing consultations on this topic with ecosystem stakeholders.
Check out this project