The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) has signed a two-year agreement with Imperial to collaborate on the development of the latter’s in-house machine learning capabilities, which is expected to pave way for a variety of applied artificial intelligence (AI) projects.

Through the AI projects, Imperial plans to work to develop more effective methods for recovery of oil and gas resources, cutting down environmental impacts and enhancing the safety of its workforce.

John Whelan – Imperial upstream senior vice-president said: “At Imperial, we are taking action to be a leader in advancing digital and AI technology across the value chain.

“Amii is not only a leader in the AI space globally, but based locally in Alberta. We believe the institute is a perfect partner to help us showcase Alberta’s leadership in technology and digital solutions for responsibly-produced oil and gas.”

Employees of Imperial evaluating new digital technologies as part of its Upstream Digital Accelerator. Photo courtesy of Business Wire.

Amii said that by closely working with Imperial, it will give business guidance and scientific mentorship to consolidate the latter’s in-house machine intelligence capabilities and teams.

The Canadian institute’s experts will help establish and validate machine learning opportunities, give assistance with applied projects and connections to the latest applicable AI research. Amii will also help Imperial in getting and developing its technical teams with a stress on improving the skills of its existing employees.

John Shillington – President and CEO of Amii said: “Imperial is an ideal member for our Amii Innovates program. Not only do they have a strong commitment to driving innovation in the oil and gas sector, but they’re also focused on growing their internal AI capabilities and teams right here in Alberta.”