Province taps industry, academic leaders for AI education panel
By Your Southwest Media Group
EDMONTON – Alberta's government is launching an expert panel to strengthen how post-secondary education prepares students for an artificial intelligence-driven economy.
The panel will bring together post-secondary and industry leaders to assess how AI is being integrated into post-secondary education, identify opportunities to better align graduate competencies with market needs and deliver concrete recommendations to prepare students for success.
"Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping our economy and the workforce today's graduates are entering," said Myles McDougall, Minister of Advanced Education. "Preparing Alberta students to succeed is essential for both learners and employers. That's why we're taking proactive steps and bringing together an expert panel to help ensure our post-secondary institutions keep pace with AI-driven change."
The panel will begin its work in spring 2026, with findings expected within nine months. It was informed by a recent Advanced Education roundtable held in April 2026 with leaders from post-secondary institutions, industry and the innovation sector.
In addition to examining AI adoption across the post-secondary system, the panel will assess impacts on graduates and occupations, review best practices from other jurisdictions, evaluate how well graduate AI skills align with market demands and identify opportunities to strengthen Alberta's global competitiveness.
Nicole Janssen, founder of Diffusion Advisory AI, will chair the panel.
"Bringing together voices from across post-secondary education and industry is an important step toward ensuring Alberta is prepared for the future," Janssen said. "This panel will help guide thoughtful, responsible approaches to AI that strengthen learning environments and support the long-term success of students and institutions."
The panel will produce a report providing analysis of current practices, key strengths, opportunities for improvement and recommendations to better prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.
Panel members are Nicole Janssen (chair), Stephanie Enders, Neeraj Gupta, Jessalyn Holodinsky, Michael Lim, Karl Pinno, Celia Wanderley and Aarn Wennekers.