Unlocking the power of AI:insights from the Alberta School of Business

In 2025, it's not hard to picture: wildfires tearing through forests, threatening homes, lives and livelihoods. Now, step into what might seem like science fiction — a reality where somewhere, a machine-learning model crunches data to identify the best way to allocate firefighting resources. Thousands of miles away, an AI-powered tool analyzes patient flow in a hospital, ensuring that doctors and nurses can provide care more efficiently to those affected by the blaze. Meanwhile, a service bot at your favorite online store is helping a displaced family quickly order essential supplies they lost in the fire or resolve their insurance claims with ease, providing a lifeline during a moment of crisis.

These are not scenes from a sci-fi novel — they’re real-world applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics, fields that are transforming industries at lightning speed. Recognizing their potential, the Alberta School of Business recently hosted a groundbreaking “research conversation” to explore how AI is reshaping the way we live, work and make decisions.

The rising tide of AI

AI is no longer a futuristic concept — it’s here, and it’s everywhere. At the Alberta School of Business, researchers are applying its capabilities in diverse and impactful ways:

• Fighting Wildfires: Ilbin Lee is developing machine-learning models to guide resource allocation for wildfire suppression. His work provides critical insights into how limited resources, such as air tankers, helicopters and firefighters, can be deployed effectively to save lives and property.
• Streamlining Healthcare: Imagine arriving at an emergency department with a limb injury and being sent straight to the x-ray department, so that by the time you see a physician, your x-rays are ready to view. Researchers like Saied Samiedaluie and Armann Ingolfsson are leveraging AI to dynamically optimize emergency department routing decisions, ensuring that patients receive the right care at the right time.

These projects demonstrate how AI isn’t just a tool for technologists. It’s a force that can touch every corner of life, from health and safety to the brands we interact with daily.

The tools that shape tomorrow

Some researchers are creating tools to make these advances accessible. For example, Ivor Cribben and PhD student Martin Ondrus have created a free tool to help businesses and researchers make sense of complex data over time. This tool identifies major turning points, helping organizations uncover critical insights, make smarter decisions, and improve predictions.

The ethical tightrope

With great power comes great responsibility. As AI becomes more embedded in our lives, its potential pitfalls come into sharper focus. While data and algorithms are powerful tools, they are not immune to bias, and decisions can have far-reaching consequences for individuals and society.

Joanna Li’s research examines how editorial playlists, curated using music trends and analytics, impact gender disparities among music artists. She found that while Spotify’s playlist rankings appear to favor female artists, the benefits of playlist prominence are not evenly distributed. Female artists receive fewer advantages compared to their male counterparts, even when receiving the same recommendations. Her work highlights how digital platforms still reflect societal inequities, even as they aim to create fairer opportunities in the music industry. 

At the heart of this work are researchers like Vern Glaser and Chris Steele, who are examining the complex relationship between AI systems, social life, and human values.
A key stream in Glaser's research, including an article recently published in MIT Sloan Management Review, reveals how technological solutions often implicitly prioritize efficiency and rationality over other important human values like fairness, compassion and procedural justice. 

His work suggests that building responsible AI systems isn't just about better technology — it requires carefully considering what values we want to preserve and strategically incorporating human judgment at key decision points. 

Similarly, some of Steele's recent work, published in the Academy of Management Journal, explores how diverse groups counter the disruptions caused by algorithms while defending values like fairness and autonomy. His work suggests that even non-experts can influence the impact of algorithms by shaping the social and material environment in which they operate by adjusting the data they use and the outputs they accept. As a whole, this work highlights how algorithms are shaped by society and offers insights into making AI systems more accountable and aligned with human values.

The Alberta advantage

This commitment to exploring AI’s potential isn’t confined to research — it’s woven into the Alberta School of Business’s teaching and outreach efforts:

• New educational pathways: Starting in Fall 2025, the school’s new Master’s in Management Analytics program will offer courses like “Responsible AI & Ethical Issues in Data Analytics”. Undergraduate students will also have the chance to dive into analytics through a major that teaches hands-on skills, such as data visualization.
• AI Innovation for businesses: On November 20, 2024, the school hosted a seminar for small and medium enterprises, sharing insights on how AI can drive innovation.
• Research and collaboration: The AI Centre for Decision Analytics serves as a hub for advancing AI research and connecting it to real-world challenges.

Why it matters

AI is not just about efficiency or innovation; it’s about shaping the world we live in. When used thoughtfully, it can transform industries, improve lives and address some of society’s biggest challenges. But as with any powerful tool, its impact depends on how we choose to wield it.

At the Alberta School of Business, the story of AI and analytics is one of exploration, innovation and responsibility. By asking tough questions, building practical tools, and educating the next generation of leaders, the school is ensuring that AI serves as a force for good — not just today, but in the future.