Alberta backs Amii health AI lab with CAD $10 million
Thu, 21st May 2026 (Today)
Amii has launched a Health Innovation Lab with the Government of Alberta, backed by CAD $10 million over three years.
The lab is designed to support the development and adoption of artificial intelligence tools in healthcare across the province. It will focus on moving research into clinical use and aligning projects with provincial health priorities.
The Alberta-based AI institute said the program will connect researchers, clinicians and health system needs, with the aim of turning locally developed work into tools for frontline care. Amii said the lab will be the "natural evolution" of decades of work from the organisation's fellows.
Examples include Jenkins AI Scribe, developed by researchers including Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair Ross Mitchell. The product is being scaled to support more than 850 healthcare providers in Alberta by automating clinical notes. Additionally, Medo AI, co-founded by Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair Jacob Jaremko, developed software to automate ultrasound analysis for hip abnormalities in infants and was later acquired by Exo.
Cam Linke, Chief Executive Officer of Amii, spoke to the lab as an extension of earlier research and deployment work.
"Through the Health Innovation Lab, Amii is bridging excellence in research with excellence in care. By translating our world-leading AI into clinical tools, we are empowering clinicians and patients to achieve an outsized impact. This allows us to apply our deep technical expertise directly to the province's health priorities-ensuring Alberta-made innovation drives both economic growth and a better healthcare experience for everyone," he said.
The new lab will support projects that reduce wait times, improve diagnostic accuracy, cut administrative workloads and enable earlier disease detection. Predictive tools and automated workflows could help clinics and hospitals manage bottlenecks in diagnosis and patient care.
The launch comes as health services and technology groups seek to apply AI in practical settings such as documentation, imaging and decision support. In Alberta, the emphasis appears to be on tools developed locally and assessed for use in the province's health system.
"Clear, reliable data is essential to informed decision-making in the health care system, and this project delivers exactly that," said Matt Jones, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services
The provincial government said the investment is intended to support the responsible use of health data and encourage wider adoption of AI tools in care delivery.
Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation, outlined that position in comments accompanying the launch.
"Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform how healthcare is delivered, but only if we move innovations out of the lab and into real-world use. This investment ensures Alberta innovators can work responsibly with health data to deliver solutions that improve care for patients, strengthen our health system and create long-term economic value for the province," he said.