UNB summit focuses on accelerating AI adoption in Atlantic Canada

Panel discussions and keynotes address how Atlantic Canadians can better understand, manage and benefit from emerging AI technologies.

The discussion of artificial intelligence is no longer confined to what can be built. The additional question now is how to apply it in an ethical, sustainable and human-centred manner.

These challenges drove the Atlantic AI Summit 2026, held on the University of New Brunswick's Fredericton campus and hosted by the Research Institute for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, where leaders from government, industry and academia gathered from June 3-5.

The event's theme was Accelerating AI adoption in Atlantic Canada, but the summit reflected wider interconnected challenges and opportunities that artificial intelligence presents for the region and Canada.

Premier Susan Holt opened the event by tying that challenge to the province's future.

"This is about making sure New Brunswick is part of the future economy," Holt said.

"I think it's an exciting time to connect our expertise in cybersecurity, our country's need to modernize defence, and the expertise in AI that's been building here," she said.

A national push, a local response

The event's timing lined up with Ottawa's release of the new national strategy calling for greater adoption of AI across business and public services in Canada.

Canada's strategy highlights a gap between research strength and real-world use. That gap was very much part of the summit's agenda.

UNB also used the gathering to signal its own direction. During the opening night, an announcement was made that the Research Institute in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (RIDSAI) would be renamed the Data Science and AI Research Institute, or DAIR.

"DAIR" plays on UNB's motto, Sapere Aude, or "Dare To Be Wise."

Aaloak Jaswal, DAIR's innovation director, said increased adoption of AI depends on removing existing silos and promoting greater co-operation and collaboration.

"No single university, company, government, or researcher is going to determine the future of AI in this region. We're going to have to do it together."

Setting the direction

The keynote speakers set the tone.

Dr. Michael Karch, an orthopedic surgeon, author and entrepreneur who uses AI in his practice, framed AI as a turning point in human history that still depends on human judgment.

"Although the technology is great, what's really behind the technology is human creativity, human ingenuity and human drive," he said.

Dr. Hossein Rahnama, a Canadian computer scientist and chair in AI and Human Creativity at Toronto Metropolitan University, warned that the main risk lies in a lack of understanding. The issue is not whether AI works, but whether people understand how to use it correctly.

"I'm not too worried about the technology of AI, but I am extremely worried about AI literacy. Educate, educate, educate," Dr. Rahnama said, warning that people need to know how to use AI effectively and accurately.

What the summit found

Across panels and presentations, the discussions converged on common themes.

• We can do it here. Atlantic Canada can contribute to the development, deployment and governance of AI technologies rather than waiting for innovation to happen elsewhere first.
  
  
• Adoption remains uneven. Canada's research capacity is strong, but many organizations still approach it tentatively rather than pursuing more aggressive but thoughtful deployment.
  
  
• Trust limits progress. Systems may perform well, but if they are not transparent, users can be suspicious if results can't be explained.
  
  
• Work is evolving. Human roles are shifting toward oversight and decision-making, delegating routine tasks and processes to AI.
  
  
• AI literacy is essential. Workers and students across disciplines must learn how to use and `question AI tools in an informed manner.
  
  
• Humans are central. The importance of critical thinking by humans grows as AI use expands.
  
  
• Governance systems lag. As was the case with evolving technologies in the past, rigid governance frameworks struggle to manage it.

Collectively, these discussions reflected a shift from focusing primarily on what AI can do to considering how it should be integrated into organizations and society. Across sectors, speakers emphasized that while AI can augment human capabilities, human judgment, accountability and critical thinking must remain central to its use.

Real-world pressure

Speakers described a healthcare system under strain, facing workforce shortages, growing demand, administrative burden and important data spread across often incompatible platforms-some still maintained on paper.

Discussions explored how AI is being applied across healthcare, from diagnostics and clinical decision support to administrative workflows and system integration. While many of these applications are already demonstrating promising results, health systems remain cautious about broader adoption in clinical settings.

The discussion repeatedly returned to trust. AI can deliver results, but adoption depends on confidence in how systems arrive at their conclusions, the quality of the underlying data and healthcare professionals' ability to understand and validate the results.

Several speakers noted that, in specific use cases, AI systems have demonstrated performance comparable to-or in some cases exceeding-that of human experts. However, participants observed that AI errors often attract greater scrutiny than comparable human mistakes, underscoring the importance of transparency, accountability and appropriate oversight as these technologies become more widely adopted.

Education and workforce

The need to turn research into practical applications is also reshaping expectations for students.

Education sessions pointed to a shift from simple knowledge to applied skills, starting with students in K-12. AI can generate information on demand. The challenge is learning how to guide it and accurately assess the quality of its output. That learning has to start early.

Speakers noted growing pressure to adjust education programs. Employers seek graduates who can demonstrate how they have used AI tools in real-world situations and exercise sound judgment in applying the results.

This aligns with the national strategy's emphasis on AI literacy and places universities at the centre of workforce preparation.

Research into action

The summit also addressed the region's place within the national effort.

Atlantic Canada has strong academic research but faces the same adoption gap as the rest of the country. Smaller firms and public organizations often lack the resources to deploy AI systems at scale.

Speakers pointed to practical steps. Lower-risk applications can build experience and confidence. Universities can support that process by offering access to expertise and testing environments.

More broadly, several speakers argued that Atlantic Canada has an opportunity to move beyond simply consuming AI technologies and become an active contributor to their development, deployment and governance. Achieving that will require stronger collaboration among industry, government, academia and community partners.

Looking ahead

AI can process data at scale, but the harder task is deciding how those systems should be used and governed. That decision rests with the people who design, deploy and rely on them.

Jaswal returned to that point in his closing remarks, reflecting what stood out over the three days.

He spoke of students introducing themselves to senior researchers and industry leaders, of conversations continuing between sessions and of people sharing ideas across disciplines.

"We spent the last three days talking about AI, but what I'll remember most is something that was more profoundly human," he said.

Photo 1: New Brunswick Education and Early Childhood Development Deputy Minister Ryan Donaghy speaks on AI in the province's K-12 education system.

Photo 2: DAIR's innovation director Aaloak Jaswal with Premier Susan Holt, who gave an address on the opening night, June 3.

Photo 3: Dr. Michael Karch was the keynote speaker on June 4.

Photo 4: DAIR's innovation director Aaloak Jaswal with Dr. Michael Karch, keynote speaker on June 4, and Dr. Hossein Rahnama, keynote speaker on June 5.

Photo 5: Sonya Hull, managing director of strategic industry and community partnerships at UNB's faculty of computer science, leads a panel discussion on AI, Trust, and the Future of Work in Atlantic Canada. From left are Chris Dedam, Sesgweg Software Solutions; Charles Gervais, iTransform; Brogan Regier, AI2Market; Reeti Rohilla, Global News; and Hull.

Photo 6: The volunteers who helped make the summit happen.