Artificial intelligence has been a part of video games for decades. But new advances in machine learning and generative AI could radically change how we make — and play — games. In this episode, Andrew Butcher, co-founder of Artificial Agency, talks about how the company is creating technology to make games more playful, intelligent, and fun. Tune in to discover how AI is changing game development and what that means for developers and players alike.

A team of Amii researchers recently  published a paper in the prestigious scientific journal Nature investigating a mysterious problem in deep learning that can hinder long-term continual learning. In this Sidebar episode, we talk to two of the co-authors about the problem of Loss of Plasticity, what their findings mean for advanced AI, and the journey from idea to Nature.

Read more about Loss of Plasticity: https://www.amii.ca/latest-from-amii/amii-researchers-investigate-ai-mystery-new-nature-paper-loss-plasticity/

We’re gearing up for Amii’s world-class Upper Bound AI conference at the end of May, and we wanted to share one of last year’s most popular sessions. Enjoy this taste of AI researcher Finbarr Timbers’ fantastic talk on the origins of  ChatGPT, how it has evolved and the huge impact when it was released at the end of 2022.

You can see Finbarr’s full presentation here. He’ll be back again for another riveting session at Upper Bound 2024 (May 21-24), and we've got an entire track dedicated to Generative AI this year!.

You can learn more about how to be a part of it at https://www.upperbound.ai

Production Credits: Lynda Vang, Keely Booth - Producer, Chris Onciul - Video Production, Jen Tomski - Social Media

Music Credits: Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

Back in late 2022, Alona Fyshe was working on a TED Talk about how we evaluate the performance of Large Language Models. Little did she know, there was something big on the horizon.

In this episode, Alona tells co-host Scott Lilwall about how the release of ChatGPT shook the field of Natural Language Processing (and made her rethink her entire talk.)It’s a story about how we test machine learning models and a tremendous shift in the public’s expectations of what AI can do.

You can see the final version of Alona’s talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/alona_fyshe_does_ai_actually_understand_us

Production Credits: Lynda Vang, Keely Booth - Producer, Chris Onciul - Video Production, Jen Tomski - Social Media

Music Credits: Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

In this Sidebar episode, we hear from Amii Fellow Xingyu Li about her work in using AI to highlight vital information in medical data.

Xingyu shares insights into her work on visual anomaly detection and navigating the complexities of AI in healthcare while safeguarding patient privacy. She talks with Adam White, Amii’s Director of Scientific Operations about how to do more with scarce data, and the future of AI-driven medicine.

Artificial intelligence is already proving to be a powerful tool for the classroom. But it can be much more than that. Hosts Alona Fyshe and Scott Lilwall explore the ways that AI might change the way that we teach — and change the way that we think. 

They’re joined by K-12 Education Advisor Jill Kowalchuk and Director of Scientific Operations Adam White to discuss AI literacy in the classroom. What do high school and postsecondary students need to learn about AI to be prepared for the future, and how can it become a collaborator in the classroom?

Check out an extended version of this interview on our YouTube page: youtube.com/@amiithinks

Production Credits: Lynda Vang, Keely Booth - Producer, Chris Onciul - Video Production, Jen Tomski - Social Media

Music Credits: Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

In this Sidebar episode, we explore what draws AI researchers to the work that they do. Amii Fellow Bailey Kacsmar talks with Amii's Director of Scientific Operations Adam White about her research into human-centred privacy, why it’s more important than ever to think about how we protect data in AI and what the paradox privacy is.

Production Credits: Lynda Vang - Producer, Chris Onciul - Video Production, Jen Tomski - Social Media

Music Credits:

Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

It started as an idea on a beach in Barbados, and now it’s one of the ways that researchers around the world evaluate AI. On this week’s episode, Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair Mike Bowling tells us the story behind the Atari benchmark and how video games from the 1980s can be used to test leading-edge AI. It’s a story of how a simple scientific curiosity can turn into something with a big impact.

Production Credits: Lynda Vang - Producer, Chris Onciul - Video Production, Jen Tomski - Social Media

Music Credits: Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

Theme from Moon Patrol on the Atari 2600

Death Theme from Pitfall on the Atari 2600

Welcome to Approximately Correct! This brand-new podcast from Amii explores everything artificial intelligence: what’s happening now, and how it will change our future. We’re getting ready to release our first episodes featuring conversations with leaders in the field of AI.

But until then, here’s a sneak peek from hosts Alone Fyshe and Scott Lilwall, where they share why you need to know more about AI, what you can expect to hear — and what the name Approximately Correct means.

Main Theme: Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh⁠

Reinforcement learning is being used to make water treatment more efficient. On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair Martha White to talk about co-founding RL Core Technologies, which is exploring how RL can be used in to increase efficiency in water treatment plants and other industrial control systems. Find out more about how AI is being used in the real world and its potential large-scale impact.

How do we get the best results when AI and human beings work together? In this episode of Approximately Correct, we’re looking into Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) AI with Matt Taylor.

The Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair talks about the importance of human input in AI decision making, the need to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of both natural and artificial intelligence, and how he thinks HITL will be vital if people are to trust AI in their lives.

Production Credits: Lynda Vang, - Producer, Chris Onciul - Video Production, 

Music Credits: Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

Medicine is built on data. Clinical studies, patient charts, test results, X-rays - data helps diagnose us when we’re unhealthy and understand how to treat us. Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair Ross Mitchell explores how machine learning can use this data, pulling out insights to help medical professionals work better and provide better patient outcomes.

In this Sidebar episode, we present a conversation between Mitchell and machine learning scientist Jubair Sheik about AI's massive potential in medicine and the increasing accuracy of medical AI models.

Production Credits: Lynda Vang, - Producer, Chris Onciul - Video Production, 

Music Credits: Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

This week’s episode of Approximately Correct looks at how the work of Marlos C. Machado is taking reinforcement learning to new heights.

Marlos sits down with hosts Alona Fyshe and Scott Lilwall to share the insights from his work using AI to control balloons in Earth's stratosphere, and what it teaches us about how reinforcement learning works in the real world.

Production Credits: Lynda Vang - Producer, Chris Onciul - Video Production

Music Credits: Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

Dialogues have been a way of exploring complex philosophical and moral questions since the time of Plato. And now, they might offer new ways of exploring intelligence in the age of powerful large language models.

Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair Geoffrey Rockwell joins hosts Alona Fyshe and Scott Lilwall to talk about where philosophy and artificial intelligence intersect, and how learning more about non-human intelligence can teach us more about ourselves.

Production Credits: Lynda Vang - Producer, Chris Onciul - Video Production, Music Credits: Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

With generative AI becoming more and more powerful, seeing is no longer believing. Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair James Wright joins hosts Alona Fyshe and Scott Lilwall to tell the truth about telling lies. Wright talks about his work on disinformation, how artificial intelligence is affecting how we view information online, and why it’s much more complicated than just a technical question. He also shares his experience in behavioural economics and how studying humans leads to advancing AI. 

Production Credits: Lynda Vang, Chris Onciul - Video Production, Jen Tomski - Social Media

Music Credits: Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

At the end of May, thousands of AI researchers, enthusiasts and industry leaders will meet in Edmonton for Amii’s annual Upper Bound conference. It’s an event built on collaboration and sharing the latest in artificial intelligence. In this episode, Scott talks to Amii CEO Cam Linke and Amii’s Director of Academic Relations Rosa Ellithorpe about why openness is an important part of the field and how AI is pushing exciting advancements in many parts of society.

Upper Bound 2024 is on May 21-24, 2024. You can learn more about how to be a part of it at https://www.upperbound.ai

Production Credits: Lynda Vang, - Producer, Chris Onciul - Video Production, Jen Tomski - Social Media

Music Credits: Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

In this episode, we’ve got a chat with legendary engineer, innovator and video game developer John Carmack Carmack sat down for a fireside chat with Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair Micheal Bowling to discuss the future of artificial general intelligence, the importance of an open-source philosophy while working on ground-breaking ideas, and a look back at how Carmack’s work on Wolfenstein and Doom changed videogames forever.

Carmack was at Amii HQ to announce his latest partnership with Amii Scientific Advisor Rich Sutton to advance artificial general intelligence. 

Production Credits: Lynda Vang, Chris Onciul - Video Production, Jen Tomski - Social Media

Music Credits: Main Theme - Brooklyn Bridge by Lunareh

Is AI this year's MVP? How is machine learning changing sports?On this episode of Approximately Correct, we talk with Chicago Blackhawks' David Radke about how machine learning is transforming the analysis of sports like hockey.

Could AI-powered ultrasounds save lives in remote areas? On this episode of Approximately Correct we talk with Dr. Jacob Jaremko about AI's revolutionary impact on medical imaging, particularly ultrasound technology, and its potential to transform healthcare.

In the latest episode of Approximately Correct, we’re taking the time to celebrate with Amii Fellow, Chief Scientific Advisor, and Canada CIFAR AI Chair Rich Sutton, newly-minted winner of the A.M. Turing Award, a prize that is often referred to as  the “Nobel Prize of Computer Science.”

Discover the secret to training AI with less data! 

On this episode of Approximately Correct, we talk with Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair Lili Mou about the challenges of training large language models and how his research on Flora addresses memory footprint concerns. 

AI-powered prosthetics are changing lives, but it takes more than just technology. In this episode, Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair is here to talk about the work going on in his lab designing AI controls for bionic limbs and explains the unique partnership between researchers and users that's creating AI learning that is made with humans in mind.

Approximately Correct: An AI Podcast from Amii is hosted by Alona Fyshe and Scott Lilwall. It is produced by Lynda Vang, with video production by Chris Onciul.

How can machine learning revolutionize healthcare? In this episode, Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair Russ Greiner explores how AI is transforming survival prediction, giving doctors and patients personalized health insights that were never before possible. From creating tailored survival curves to improving treatment decisions, Greiner reveals the groundbreaking potential of AI in medicine.

In this episode, reinforcement learning legend Rich Sutton argues the focus on non-continual learning over the past 40 years is now holding AI back. Listen to one of the leading minds in machine learning explain what needs to change. 

Approximately Correct: An AI Podcast from Amii is hosted by Alona Fyshe and Scott Lilwall, produced by Lynda Vang, with video production by Chris Onciul

Should powerful foundational AI models be kept under lock and key, or shared openly with the world?

In this episode of Approximately Correct, we sit down with Joelle Pineau, a professor at McGill University, former head of AI research at Meta and current chief AI officer at Cohere.. She led the development and release of the early versions of Meta’s Llama models, a series of open-weight models that challenged the closed-door approach of other AI teams. 

Pineau argues that openness is the fastest path to better, safer AI, and that diversity in foundational models is essential to developing a limited ‘algorithm monoculture’.

On this episode of Approximately Correct, we talk with Michael Littman about the importance of making AI accessible and fun for everyone.

A former division director for the AI division at the National Science Foundation, Michael shares his unique perspective on AI policy, communication, and his career in reinforcement learning. He also discusses his new role as Associate Provost of Artificial Intelligence at Brown University, where he is working to coordinate AI research and teaching across the entire university.

This AI doesn't replace jobs; it collaborates with human experts to get the job done.

On this episode of Approximately Correct, we talk with Revan McQueen on the future of industrial control and AI's role in making it safer and better

Is it possible to make building a video game as easy as writing a story? What if artificial intelligence could be more than just a tool, and instead become a true creative partner?

In this episode of Approximately Correct, we dive into computational creativity with Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair, Matthew Guzdial. We explore how AI is being developed to collaborate with artists and designers, breaking down the technical barriers that can stand in the way of a great idea. 

Learn about the future of human-AI collaboration, the philosophical questions behind AI art, and how research that starts with video games can end up solving problems in finance and even medicine.

How can we teach robots to safely navigate our unpredictable world?

On this special live episode of Approximately Correct recorded at Upper Bound 2025, we talk with Mo Chen about combining classical and modern AI to create smarter, safer, and more robust robots.

Ever wonder what exactly plants get up to all day? It’s much more than just sitting around to soak up the sun. Now, machine learning is helping to unlock the mysteries of how plants change over the course of a day, and the impact it could have on how we grow our food.
Biochemist  Dr. Glen Uhrig joins hosts Alona Fyshe and Scott Lilwall to talk about how his lab is using machine learning to study how plants grow in different lighting conditions of the course of the day. This could lead to applications with big impacts for indoor farming in northern climates, and perhaps even feeding astronauts during space missions. Listen to discover the potential that artificial intelligence has in advancing scientific research in biochemistry, agriculture, and other fields.

We’re taking a bit of a break this month, so no new episode of Approximately Correct. Instead, we wanted to revisit one of our favourite episodes from the past year. So let’s talk survival prediction with Russ Greiner. 

How can machine learning revolutionize healthcare? In this episode, Amii Fellow and Canada CIFAR AI Chair Russ Greiner explores how AI is transforming survival prediction, giving doctors and patients personalized health insights that were never before possible. From creating tailored survival curves to improving treatment decisions, Greiner reveals the groundbreaking potential of AI in medicine.

In just five years, Upper Bound has grown from a 400-person birthday party to one of Canada’s largest AI-centred events, drawing in thousands of people each year.  But it isn’t the only thing that has changed: the way we talk about and use machine learning is also completely different in 2026.

On the latest episode of Approximately Correct, Stephanie Enders joins to discuss how the conversation around AI has shifted in recent years.

The latest episode of Approximately Correct, we're joined by Kate Compton.

Kate is an expert in generative AI, an artist, and a self-described “weird futurist.” She’s long been fascinated by creativity, and how people use digital tools to express themselves.

She joins Alona Fyshe and Scott Lilwall to talk about the time when AI was small, strange and shareable, and explains why we need to keep that energy going to allow people to use it as a creative tool.

Class is back in session: this month, we're catching up again with Jill Kowalchuk to talk about the monumental shifts in AI and education over the past couple years.

As Amii's Manager of AI Literacy, Jill has seen the way that students and educators have dealt with the introduction of AI in the classroom, both the opportunities and the pitfalls. She talks with hosts Alona Fyshe and Scott Lilwall about how AI means we need to rethink the way we evaluate learning, and how she sees AI as less than a tool and more of a "thought partner."