Episodes

  • REBOOT: Forging Canada’s path in a future filled with AI

    REBOOT: Forging Canada’s path in a future filled with AI
    Jul 9 2024
    This is our 7th season of Disruptors and we’re kicking it off with a bang! There is a tech wave surging and it was truly the summer of AI. People are both excited and worried about what it’ll mean for their communities, jobs, the economy, and the planet. And while these tech advances have immense potential, we need to think deeply about how they’ll be applied. When it comes to AI research, we are a podium nation but when it comes to application, how can Canada step up to the plate? To help us make sense of it all, we are joined by two pioneers in Canada’s AI sector; Nick Frost, Cofounder of Cohere and Jordan Jacobs, Cofounder and Managing Partner of Radical Ventures.
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    28 mins
  • AI: Ready or Not?

    AI: Ready or Not?
    Jun 25 2024
    This was the year artificial intelligence got its wings — especially generative AI — and the tech is soaring to new heights. Whether you’re excited or concerned, it’s clear that AI is one of the most disruptive forces in history. AI is transforming the world at record pace — but is Canada prepared? On the season finale, we visit the Creative Destruction Lab’s AI Super Session to talk with leading minds on the frontlines of Canada’s AI journey. We also sit down with Cari Covent, Head of AI at Canadian Tire to hear about how the iconic Canadian company is using AI — from robots to shopping assistants — to enhance the customer experience, improve employee productivity and eliminate mundane tasks.
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    26 mins
  • The OceanTech Wave: Diving Deep for Climate Action

    The OceanTech Wave: Diving Deep for Climate Action
    Jun 11 2024
    AI and emerging technology are critical in reducing emissions and helping us better understand the ocean’s impact on climate. Canada is a leader in ocean research, and we continue to punch above our weight in the delivery of ocean innovation. But can innovative tech turn the tide in the climate crisis? On this episode, John Stackhouse visits Atlantic Canada — named one of the top oceantech ecosystems in the world — to check out the Cove Demo Day, Canada’s largest showcase of marine technology. He sits down with Anya Waite (CEO) and Eric Siegel (Chief Innovation Officer) of the Ocean Frontier Institute to discuss the opportunities for our nation — and the planet.
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    30 mins
  • Cultivation Innovation: A New Era for Canadian Agriculture

    Cultivation Innovation: A New Era for Canadian Agriculture
    Jun 4 2024
    AI, automation, robots, and drones are all impacting the way we grow food — and it’s happening right here on Canadian soil. With a growing population, an affordability crisis, and increasing food insecurity, greenhouse innovation has a huge role to play in the agri-food sector. Can Canada emerge as a leader in a low-carbon global food system? To find out, John visits the greenhouse capital of Canada; Leamington, Ontario, where he’s joined by Peter Quiring, CEO at Nature Fresh Farms and Matt Korpan from the SEF Center for Horticultural Innovation.
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    29 mins
  • The Tech Outlook: Bumpy Now, Bright Soon

    The Tech Outlook: Bumpy Now, Bright Soon
    May 21 2024
    It’s no secret that the last few years have been rough for tech, but the sector also has a unique ability to look beyond the clouds and see opportunity through innovation. And while there are challenges ahead, there is a renewed optimism that we may be entering a recovery stage — where a period of fiscal discipline and strategic focus can set companies up for long-term success. Silicon Valley and other tech centres are hopeful and as markets looks toward rate cuts going into 2025, a new confidence can be felt. John Stackhouse is live from the RBC Capital Markets Technology Private Company Conference in LA and is joined by Sachin Dev Dugal, Chief Wizard at Builder AI — named one of the world's top three Most innovative Companies in AI, alongside Open AI and DeepMind.
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    26 mins
  • Canada’s Big Plans for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

    Canada’s Big Plans for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
    May 14 2024
    Nuclear innovation is making a resurgence as an attractive power source for a net-zero future — from large legacy reactors to small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs use compact and moveable nuclear technology, and if commercialized successfully, could bring new, non-emitting sources of electricity to big cities and remote communities alike, while providing greater flexibility to key Canadian industries that currently use fossil fuels. So how do SMRs contribute to Canada’s energy security and what are the economic benefits to becoming a global leader? On this episode, we’re joined by three nuclear leaders working to make SMRs a reality; Nicolle Butcher, COO at Ontario Power Generation; Bill Labbe, CEO at ARC Clean Technology Canada; and Heather Chalmers, CEO at GE Vernova.
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    30 mins
  • AI is Disrupting Canada’s Labour Landscape

    AI is Disrupting Canada’s Labour Landscape
    Apr 23 2024
    New technology has rarely led to fewer jobs, though it often impacts the way we work — eliminating old ways of doing things to create new opportunities. To mitigate workforce disruption from the rise of AI and automation, we must invest in our people to enhance the value of expertise and enable valuable work. But how do we ensure that AI is constructive and not destructive? On this episode, we’re joined by David Autor, a renowned labour force economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who has spent his career studying the consequences of technology on jobs and the economy.
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    30 mins
  • Building Blocks: Solving the Supply Shortage with Prefabricated Homes

    Building Blocks: Solving the Supply Shortage with Prefabricated Homes
    Apr 9 2024
    Housing affordability has become a crisis in Canada, and we must prioritize innovative designs, building techniques, and technology to boost productivity and close the supply-demand gap. Prefabricated homebuilding promises faster, more cost-effective alternatives to traditional construction methods — and if scaled correctly, a solution to address home prices and rent relief. We’re joined by three prefab experts using technology to rethink construction; Craig Mitchell, Principle at BlackBox Offsite Solutions; Michele Tung, CEO at homeD Modular; and Mark Stephenson, CEO at Qube Building Systems.
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    30 mins