An innovative group of enterprising Canadian and American youth and researchers from Manitoba and Minnesota are planning to launch an innovative new food production project using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools from the Open AI Researcher Access Program.

This August, youth team members took a significant step towards launching their long-awaited food production intitiative by meeting with experts with Manitoba Agriculture’s Food Development Centre. The meeting focused on exploring innovative options and strategies to bolster their upcoming activities, set to kick off this September. The youth and community-driven project aims to blend traditional food production methods with modern technological advancements, including the use of AI tools, to create a more sustainable and efficient food system.

“It’s fun to learn about AI,” says Tony Eetak. The seventeen-year old emerging artist from Arviat, Nunavut has been involved with the program since it began in May 2023. “We are learning to use these tools to help us create a real food product we can sell in stores.”

As the team prepares for the launch of their activities this fall and winter, they are excited about the potential of AI to revolutionize local food production. This initiative represents a forward-thinking approach that blends traditional food production methods with cutting-edge technology, empowering the youth to lead in creating sustainable food systems. Through this collaboration, they hope to make a significant impact on their communities by ensuring that locally produced food is both accessible and of high quality.

“This project will give youth practical experience with cutting-edge technology while reinforcing the importance of community engagement and collaboration,” said Jamie Bell, one of the community-based artists and researchers working with the program. “The youth are particularly interested in how AI can assist with various aspects of food production, such as processing, packaging, and distribution. integrating AI, they aim to enhance the quality and accessibility of locally produced food, and to support food security initiatives within their home communities.”

The program is also studying the impacts of mentorship programs that pair experienced Nutrition North Canada and Manitoba food sector entrepreneurs with urban and newly-urban Indigenous youth. This focus and resulting insights will help youth gain valuable skills and insights into entrepreneurship and the food sector, while working to address issues of northern food insecurity.

At the heart of the Niriqatiginnga programme is its Youth, Arts and Media project. It’s a transformative opportunity for urban and newly-urban Indigenous youth to engage with participatory food security projects while honing their skills in arts, entrepreneurship and digital media literacy. As a new and growing pilot program, youth and aspiring entrepreneurs receive comprehensive training and exposure to various food sector entrepreneurship roles. Through hands-on activities, they develop life, career and job skills, supporting outreach, relationship building, organizational development and engagement. Youth, Arts and Media project components of Niriqatiginnga are also funded by the Youth Employment and Skills Program funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Team excited for Strawberry in fall 2024

OpenAI’s mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity.

The team is anxiously awaiting the release of a new model OpenAI has been developing. This new new artificial intelligence model code-named “Strawberry,” was previously known as Q*, which is anticipated to be released in fall 2024. This advanced AI architecture will enhance the reasoning capabilities of AI tools to go beyond generating answers to queries. As well, Strawberry is expected to support autonomous navigation of the internet to perform what has described by OpenAI as “deep research.” 

The Strawberry model is also expected to improve the performance of OpenAI’s upcoming large language model, codenamed “Orion,” which aims to surpass the highly-successful GPT-4. It is being designed to tackle complex challenges, such as solving unseen mathematical problems and intricate word puzzles. As well, Strawberry is expected to help reduce hallucinations in language models by generating higher-quality synthetic training data.

Since April, youth and artists have been conceptualizing some of the products they aim to develop this coming year. The plans are currently to have a complete product harvested and developed for sale on-line and at local marketplaces by the fall and winter, just in time for the holiday season.

Help Spread the Word and Support Youth Food Production!

Help spread the word! Youth are currently looking for some additional support for their food production program. This Indigenous youth-driven initiative is on the lookout for partners—stores, businesses, and food assistance programs—that can help distribute and sell their products during the upcoming holiday season. Imagine the impact they could make by connecting local creators with community needs! The youth need your help to spread the word and get the community involved. If you know a store or organization that would be interested in featuring fresh, locally sourced products, now’s the time to reach out! Let’s work together to foster a sustainable food system and empower our youth to lead the change in how we grow and enjoy our food. Together, we can make a real difference! If you know someone, please contact them!

Youth, Arts and Media Team summer activities are supported with funding and support from a number of partners and collaborators, including: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Arts Borups Corners, the University of Minnesota Duluth, Manitoba Agriculture and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. We also acknowledge support from the OpenAI Researcher Access Program, Agri-Food and Agriculture Canada and the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Skills Program. Thank you for believing in us and supporting the Youth, Arts and Media Team.