Vancouver AI Community Meetup: 11/26
AI's Real Cost: Creative Power vs. Planetary Limits
The machines are thirsty. While AI transforms how we create content, it's consuming water like never before.
Join us for a raw conversation about AI's double-edged reality: the creative revolution happening in your pocket versus the environmental reckoning happening in our backyards.
We'll explore how Vancouver's creative community can lead by example… from indigenous-led data sovereignty to local compute clusters that heat your neighbor's home.
The Lineup AI Climate Paradox
Creative Power vs. Planetary Limits explores the tension between AI’s: explosive creative potential and its real-world environmental costs.
Let's dig into water and energy use in data centers, corporate responsibility, and community-led alternatives like indigenous-governed data and compute, heat recapture, and edge/local clusters.
Opening: Is'gh'li-ya: Anthony Joseph
Panelist: Amanda Silvera
Amanda founded the Society for Original Biometric Identity Rights (SOBIR) and Sobir Technologies (SOBIRTECH), two initiatives focused on protecting human voice identity and building ethical frameworks for biometric rights.
Panelist: Liz Marshall: Documentary filmmaker investigating AI’s water and energy footprint and the human-planet health link, from Great Lakes data center buildouts to right-to-water movements.
Panelist: Kei Baritugo: Montreal AI Ethics Institute strategist highlighting power gaps and pushing for AI as an assistive tool, transparency, and policy that protects creative labor.
Panelist: Kevin Friel: AI filmmaker advancing ethical, local-first production workflows, from edge compute to heat reuse, and championing accountable tools like carbon impact tracking.
Moderator: Catherine Warren: Entertainment and innovation leader with climate physics roots, former CEO of Vancouver Economic Commission, and founder of Fan Trust, steering ethical AI and sustainability across media.
Let's dig into water and energy use in data centers, corporate responsibility, and community-led alternatives like indigenous-governed data and compute, heat recapture, and edge/local clusters.
How creators, technologists, and policy folks in BC can measure impact, make better choices, and build an ethical, resilient creative economy together.
Multi‑modal, multi‑cultural, future facing & radically local.
A hands‑on night where BC’s AI builders, artists, policy folks, and curious neighbours swap demos, debate ethics, and weave new collaborations.
Agenda:
Doors Open: 6pm
Food, networking, open bar: 6-7pm
Program Begins: 7pm
Program Ends: 9pm
Desert, drinks, astronomy: 9-10pm
Event Ends: 10pm
Program Details:
7-715pm: Squamish Nation Welcome: Is'gh'li-ya Anthony Josesph
715-730: Community Announcements
730-745: “Watts Up?” Lionel Ringenbach
745-830: “AI's Real Cost: Creative Power vs. Planetary Limits” panel
830-845: AI Climate Paradox Discussion
845-900: BC + Updates and Wrap-Up
Where: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre — 1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver
Hosted by: Kris Krüg · Vancouver AI × BC + AI Ecosystem
Capacity: 200 humans (we always sell out)
Tickets: Earlyworm $40 · Standard $60 · BC + AI nMembers get 25% off.
** No experience required. Curiosity is the only prerequisite.
Vancouver AI is a neural network of curious humans mapping the terrain between technology and consciousness.
Since 2023, we've been building a different kind of tech community: one that questions as much as it creates, that bridges art galleries and research labs, corporate towers and garage workshops.
We run monthly gatherings where you'll find the unexpected: AI researchers jamming with musicians, developers debating ethics with philosophers, and entrepreneurs finding inspiration in indigenous wisdom. Together we're co-creating understanding.
ABOUT VANCOUVER AI & THE BC + AI ECOSYSTEM
Vancouver AI was just the start. BC's AI Ecosystem continues to grow, with new community hubs emerging in Surrey, Victoria, Kelowna, and beyond—each contributing unique perspectives to a thriving, interconnected network.
BC + AI represents a collective, province-wide effort to democratize AI knowledge, innovation, and opportunity.
Become a Member → Grow Community Infra: Join BC + AI
Partners & Shout‑outs
Help us grow community infrastructure so more people can build. Cash or in‑kind welcome.
Dimitri Schwartzman: Real estate guy who funds community stuff instead of just buying yachts
SEGEV LLP: Lawyers who can talk about tech without reading from Wikipedia
METACREATION Lab: Researchers who understand AI should make art, not just surveillance tech
TheUpgrade.ai: AI education & adoption for businesses and teams.
HR MacMillan Space Centre: Letting us use their cosmic dome
BC + AI Ecosystem: Multi-modal, multi-cultural, radically local, and future-facing
Sons of Vancouver:
Code of Care
Be kind. Be curious. Harassment‑free, consent‑first space.
Credit others. Share code/notes with attribution.
Ask before filming/recording any person or screen.
Full guidelines at welcome desk.
🖤❤️✊🔥🏴
Refunds/Transfers: Can’t make it? Transfer your ticket or roll it to next month — email [email protected] up to 24 hours prior.