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What does it really mean when we talk about "the cloud"… and what does that have to do with life in Alberta? 

This episode pulls back the curtain on one of the most talked-about yet least-understood topics shaping communities across our province: data centers. 

Carlin sits down with Matthew Guzdial, Associate Professor of Computing Science at the University of Alberta and Canada CIFAR AI Chair with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, for a grounded, myth-busting conversation about what data centers actually are, why Alberta is becoming a prime target for massive investment, and what the real trade-offs look like for communities like ours. 

From power grids to water cooling to AI winters, this episode gives Okotoks and Foothills residents the honest, balanced insight they need to understand what's coming…and why it matters.

Listen for:

3:20 What exactly is a data center and why does everyone use one without knowing it?

6:21 Why is Alberta becoming a top destination for major data center investment?

14:27 How do data centers use water to cool servers and what does that mean for communities?

22:17 What are the real opportunities and risks data centers bring to local Alberta communities?

27:29 Is an AI crash coming and what does Matthew Guzdial predict for the future of AI?

Connect with Guest: Matthew Guzdial, Associate Professor at the University of Alberta 

Website | CIFAR Profile| LinkedIn| X| AMII Profile 

Connect with Carlin

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