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With AI evolving faster than the rules that guide it, both investors and provinces are navigating a landscape of high potential and high risk. 

That’s why leaders gathered at the latest , where University of Calgary researchers explored how smarter AI tools can curb emotional trading due to easy-access investment apps — and how Alberta’s natural advantages could position it to power the next wave of AI infrastructure.

Home to Canada’s fastest-growing and most dynamic fintech research hub, this fifth event in the series is just one way the illuminates emerging trends in the digital economy.  

The event, held on March 3 at Studio Bell and moderated by Karen Radford, a former c-suite executive with 30 years of experience in the energy and telecommunications industries, provided key insights from industry experts.

Machine learning can be poised to correct, not exploit investor bias 

Many investment apps work like social media — instant access to the market and notifications that encourage quick, emotional decisions. , PhD, associate professor of finance in the Haskayne School and Canada Research Chair in Financial Technology, said his research shows these designs can push people into trading more and making riskier calls. 

“Modern trading platforms are not simply neutral gateways to financial markets,” he said, adding that the apps’ interface design often keeps people active, excited and coming back. “We cannot put the genie back in the bottle: instant, mobile access to markets is here to stay.” 

But Zoican believes AI can also flip the script: robo-advising models that learn from your behaviour patterns can “flag risky moments in plain language, introduce a pause,” or, when a smartwatch detects elevated heartrate, trigger a cooling‑off prompt before you trade — steering you toward steadier choices. 

Panellist Marcos Lopez, BSc’99, serial fintech entrepreneur and current CEO of CreditApp, shared his perspective on innovative AI use cases in what he called a super-dynamic market and fast-changing world. 

“The regulators in Canada are getting a little bit more open to allowing innovation to happen. They are big hills to climb, but not impossible,” he said, drawing from Wealth Simple’s success disrupting the investor market.  

Alberta could become a hub for AI infrastructure globally, if it manages the trade-offs 

AI may feel intangible, but it depends on very physical infrastructure, and , PhD, assistant Haskayne professor of finance, describes hyperscale data centres as massive warehouses of servers running nonstop. 

More than 10 of these massive data centres already operate in Canada, including two in Calgary. With an additional 300 hyperscale data centres expected worldwide, Alberta’s energy resources and cooling‑friendly climate give it a strong competitive edge. 

Panellist Cristina Lopez, BA’01, BComm’01, chief investment officer of Canada Growth Fund Investment Management, added Alberta is not trying to attract developers with cheap grid electricity, but is asking them to run their own on‑site generation and supply the natural gas to fuel it. 

“We are going to get another revenue source from it because we're going to develop our natural gas resources, and we're going to get royalties from that,” said Lopez, noting Alberta’s long track record in responsible production globally. 

Both Wang and Lopez pointed to Loudoun County in Virginia, often called Data Center Alley, as a case study. When the world began shifting from local to cloud storage, the region was ideal for growth due to its abundance in existing fibre optic networks.  

“Latency mattered,” said Lopez, arguing Alberta faces a similar moment as AI demand accelerates, even if its advantages look different. 

But, where growth is promising, Wang cautioned against trade-offs. Her research shows that, after a hyperscale facility opens, nearby home values can decline nearly seven per cent, or more than $3 billion in combined loss. 

“This highlights the importance of designing policies that ensure the fiscal benefits of data centre development meaningfully support the communities most directly affected,” said Wang. “For data centre developers, careful site selection and engagement with local infrastructure and residents are needed to mitigate negative local impacts.”