Vancouver AI Pods

<p>​This month’s Vancouver AI Meetup is anchored by a keynote from <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.alexandrasamuel.com/"><strong>Alexandra Samuel</strong>,</a> creator of the <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://meandviv.ca/"><em>Me + Viv</em> podcast</a> and longtime observer of how technology reshapes work, meaning, and human behavior.</p><p><strong>​<em>"When your best friend is a robot" </em>by Alexandra Samuel</strong></p><p>​What does it actually mean to go full cyborg? Not the chrome-plated fantasy, not the LinkedIn productivity cosplay, but as a daily practice, with all the mess that implies?</p><p>​Tech researcher and journalist <strong>Alexandra Samuel</strong> shares what she learned from building and living with her AI companion, collaborator, and coach, <strong>Viv</strong>, who just happens to be Alex’s co-host on the chart-topping TVO podcast <strong>Me + Viv</strong>.</p><p><strong>​Alexandra Samuel</strong></p><p>​<strong>Alexandra Samuel is a leading expert on AI and the digital workplace, inspiring people with a joyful, actionable approach to AI that keeps human creativity and collaboration front and center. </strong></p><p>​<strong>She's the creator and host of <em>Me + Viv,</em> a TVO podcast that is somehow both documentary journalism and a musical comedy. In her speeches and in her frequent AI stories for </strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://alexlov.es/wsj"><strong><em>The Wall Street Journal </em></strong></a><strong>and </strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://alexlov.es/hbr"><strong><em>The Harvard Business Review, </em></strong></a><strong>Alex shows people how to tap the productivity and innovation-boosting potential of AI, while managing its very real risks.</strong></p><p><strong>​Design Thinking for Vibe Coders</strong></p><p>​The tools are getting faster.</p><p>​The question is: are we building things people can actually use?</p><p>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.mayab.me/">Maya Bruck</a> brings UX fundamentals to the vibe coding era, showing how to prototype rapidly with AI without sacrificing usability, accessibility, or user research.</p><p><strong>​Maya Bruck</strong></p><p>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.mayab.me/">Maya Bruck</a> is a Lead Product Designer at Mars, with 20+ years of experience designing products at The New York Times, Etsy, and her own agency.</p><p><strong>​The Soft Violence of AI Discourse</strong></p><p>​AI discourse is full of soft violence: extraction dressed up as innovation, and fear dressed up as morality.</p><p>​Erica cuts through it with craft, showing what happens when you train on your work and own the weird outcomes.</p><p><strong>​Erica Lapadat-Janzen</strong></p><p>​Erica Lapadat-Janzen is a Vancouver new media artist and creative strategist working at the edge of identity, digital culture, and AI workflows.</p><p>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://kriskrug.co/"><strong>KRIS KRÜG</strong></a> Host + MC, Vancouver AI Meetup <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/">BC + AI Ecosystem Association</a> <em>Keeper of the vibe. Puller of threads.</em></p><p><strong>​</strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/about/"><strong>About BC + AI Ecosystem Association</strong></a></p><p>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/about/">BC + AI</a> is the province-wide layer: a community-driven, nonprofit industry association built to create public-interest infrastructure for AI in British Columbia.</p><p>​Not a corporate lobby. Not a think tank. A commons where meetups turn into working groups, prototypes turn into shared tools, and community values turn into governance.</p>

<p><strong><em>Monthly screenings, technical deep-dives, and creative experiments with AI tools transforming film and media production.</em></strong></p><p>​Join us for the <strong>2026 launch of BC + AI Film Club</strong> a community-driven space where filmmakers, VFX artists, editors, writers, and creative technologists explore AI tools transforming the film industry.</p><p>​We combine <strong>film screenings</strong> with <strong>technical deep-dives</strong>, <strong>creative experiments</strong>, and <strong>real talk</strong> about how AI is changing production, post, distribution, and storytelling itself.</p><p>​<strong>This i</strong>s about filmmakers taking control of the tools, understanding what's possible, and deciding how we want to use them.</p><p><strong>​Hosts:</strong></p><p>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/blog/bc_ai_member/kevin-friel/"><strong>Kevin Friel</strong></a>: Nura Studios filmmaker, VFX artist, AI film production specialist with 25+ years traditional + cutting-edge generative workflows. The "Punk Rock AI" guy.</p><p>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/blog/bc_ai_member/kris-krug/"><strong>Kris Krüg</strong></a><strong>: </strong>Creative technologist and community instigator exploring how AI reshapes culture, creativity, and collective power.</p><p>​<strong>Community Support:</strong> Brian Hockenstein, Luke Minaker, Mayumi Rollins and active member volunteer</p><p><strong>​Our Philosophy</strong></p><p>​<strong>Human Creativity First</strong>: AI as tool, not replacement. Artist maintains creative control. Artistic integrity paramount.</p><p>​<strong>Transparency</strong>: Disclose AI usage. Be honest about capabilities and limitations. Share learnings openly.</p><p>​<strong>Collaboration</strong>: Support fellow filmmakers. Share knowledge generously. Build together, not compete.</p><p>​<strong>Accessibility</strong>: Tools for all budget levels. Democratize filmmaking technology. Support emerging creators.</p><p><strong>​AI Tools We Explore</strong></p><ul><li>​<strong>Scriptwriting:</strong> AI writing assistants, character development, story structure</li><li>​<strong>Visual Production:</strong> Runway, Pika, Veo, Kling, Midjourney, ComfyUI</li><li>​<strong>Post-Production:</strong> AI editing, color grading, VFX generation, enhancement</li><li>​<strong>Audio &amp; Music:</strong> Udio, Suno, ElevenLabs, sound effect generation</li><li>​<strong>Marketing:</strong> Trailer generation, social media content, audience analytics</li></ul><p>​<strong>AI Film Club is where filmmakers take control of the future. </strong>Come watch films. Learn tools. Make stuff. Connect with other creators doing the same.</p><p><strong>​</strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/about/"><strong>About BC + AI Ecosystem Association</strong></a></p><p>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/about/">BC + AI</a> is the province-wide layer: a community-driven, nonprofit industry association built to create public-interest infrastructure for AI in British Columbia.</p><p>​Not a corporate lobby. Not a think tank. A commons where meetups turn into working groups, prototypes turn into shared tools, and community values turn into governance.</p><p>​Vancouver AI was just the start. The ecosystem keeps growing across BC... Surrey, Victoria, Kelowna, and beyond... each node bringing its own culture, needs, and experiments.</p><p>​<strong>Join / support:</strong> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bc-ai.ca/membership/">https://bc-ai.ca/membership/</a></p>

<p><strong>It's dark December in Vancouver. The solstice approaches.</strong></p><p>​Two years ago, we started gathering trying to figure out what AI meant for the work we make and the communities we serve.</p><p>​3,300+ people have moved through this space. Hundreds have demoed projects, spoken, hacked through the night, or contributed in ways that pushed the whole thing forward. At the darkest point of the year, we light up the work that mattered most.</p><p><strong>​The Squatchies</strong></p><p><strong>​<em>Celebrating human-machine collaboration, homegrown intelligence, and the creative rebels shaping our shared future.</em></strong></p><p>​Six awards for the people who moved the needle this year.</p><p>​The organizers who held space. The Indigenous technologists building sovereignty through code. The artists integrating AI into their practice. The builders who shared their work so others could build.</p><p>​We're calling them <strong>The Squatchies</strong> named for something that's always been here, in the trees and the stories. These awards belong to BC, made by the community that's building here.</p><p><strong>​Why This Matters</strong></p><p>​The AI story is being shaped by centralized power, but here we're cultivating something else: community-driven intelligence rooted in ethics, imagination, and impact.</p><p>​<strong><em>BC is a biome of intelligence... ecological, emotional, ancestral, and algorithmic. </em></strong>These awards recognize the minds and movements shaping our province's distinct AI culture.</p><p>​Hosted by the<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://kriskrug.co/"> Kris Krüg</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://vancouver.bc-ai.net/">Vancouver AI</a> &amp; community-driven <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/"><strong>BC + AI </strong>industry association</a>, the awards are a <strong>ritual of recognition</strong>, a <strong>call to gather</strong>, and a <strong>statement of values</strong> for an ecosystem growing in the shadow of Big Tech yet dreaming its own dream.</p><p><strong>​Special Holiday Performance by Alex, Zaro &amp; Professor Patrick Parra Pennefather</strong></p><p>​Join us early for a unique holiday sound experience led by Patrick and the crew. We’re doing a live, interactive performance that captures the festive energy of the room and turns it into something special. It’s the perfect way to connect and celebrate another year of building this ecosystem together.</p><p><strong>​The Night's Agenda</strong></p><p>​Here's how we're marking the moment...</p><p>​<strong>The Squatchies Awards</strong> — Six recognitions for people and projects that pushed BC's AI ecosystem forward</p><p>​<strong>Patrick Penfather's AI Musical Performance</strong> — Holiday-themed, interactive, legendary</p><p>​<strong>Year-End Wrap-Up &amp; 2025 Roadmap</strong> — Where we've been, where we're going</p><p><strong>​</strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.net/"><strong>THE BC + AI ECOSYSTEM</strong></a></p><p>​​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://luma.com/vancouver-ai">Vancouver AI </a>was just the start.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/"> BC's AI Ecosystem</a> continues to grow, with new community hubs emerging in Surrey, Victoria, Kelowna, and beyond—each contributing unique perspectives to a thriving, interconnected network.</p><p>​​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/">BC + AI</a> represents a collective, province-wide effort to democratize AI knowledge, innovation, and opportunity. ​</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/membership/">Become a Member</a> → </p><p>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://luma.com/vancouver-ai">Together we're co-crea<em>ting understanding.</em></a></p>

<p><strong>​AI's Real Cost</strong></p><p><em>Creative Power vs. Planetary Limits</em></p><p>​<em>The machines are thirsty. </em>While AI transforms how we create content, it's consuming water like never before.</p><p>​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.</p><p>​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.</p><p><strong>AI Climate Paradox</strong></p><p>​<strong><em>Creative Power vs. Planetary Limits explores the tension between AI’s: explosive creative potential and its real-world environmental costs.</em></strong></p><p>​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.</p><p>​<strong>Opening</strong>: Is'gh'li-ya: Anthony Joseph</p><p>​<strong>Panelist: </strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://amandasilvera.carrd.co/">Amanda Silvera</a> 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.</p><p>​<strong>Panelist: </strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://lizmars.com/">Liz Marshall</a>: Documentary filmmaker <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://lizmars.com/film/water-on-the-table/">investigating AI’s water </a>and energy footprint and the human-planet health link, from Great Lakes data center buildouts to right-to-water movements.</p><p>​<strong>Panelist: </strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/keibaritugo/"><strong>Kei Baritugo</strong></a>: Montreal AI Ethics Institute strategist highlighting power gaps and pushing for AI as an assistive tool, transparency, and policy that protects creative labor.</p><p>​<strong>Panelist: </strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.kevinfriel.com/">Kevin Friel</a>: AI filmmaker advancing ethical, local-first production workflows, from edge compute to heat reuse, and championing accountable tools like carbon impact tracking.</p><p>​<strong>Moderator:</strong> <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceowarren/">Catherine Warren</a>: Entertainment and innovation leader with climate physics roots, former CEO of Vancouver Economic Commission, and founder of <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://fantrust.com/">Fan Trust</a>, steering ethical AI and sustainability across media.</p><p>​How creators, technologists, and policy folks in BC can measure impact, make better choices, and build an ethical, resilient creative economy together.</p><p><strong>​</strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.net/"><strong>ABOUT VANCOUVER AI &amp; THE BC + AI ECOSYSTEM</strong></a></p><p>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://luma.com/vancouver-ai">Vancouver AI </a>was just the start.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/"> BC's AI Ecosystem</a> continues to grow, with new community hubs emerging in Surrey, Victoria, Kelowna, and beyond—each contributing unique perspectives to a thriving, interconnected network.</p><p>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bc-ai.ca/">BC + AI</a> represents a collective, province-wide effort to democratize AI knowledge, innovation, and opportunity.</p>

<p></p><p>This historic episode captures Vancouver AI's biggest event yet: the debut of the First Annual AI Film Festival and the grand finale of the eight-month Rival Technologies Data Storytelling Hackathon. Hear from Hollywood VFX legends who created Gollum for Lord of the Rings, professional animators producing studio-quality work in 3 days for $100, and an 18-year-old who placed second in all four hackathon rounds while maintaining valedictorian status.</p><p>The episode opens with a powerful Squamish Nation blessing from newly elected Counselors Anthony Joseph and Johnny Williams, grounding the community in indigenous protocol before diving into the transformation of creative industries through AI.</p><p><strong>Warning:</strong> This episode contains frank discussions about industry displacement, ethical debates about training data, and strong language about IP rights.</p><p>-------</p><p><strong>Standout Quotes</strong></p><p><strong>On Ceremony &amp; Time</strong></p><p>"Time is our greatest asset, and that's the one thing you can't get back no matter where you spend it." — Anthony Joseph, Squamish Nation Counselor</p><p>"When Anthony and Johnny comes up every month and starts singing, I know everything that happens next is gonna be okay. We're here. We made it, we're in the right place." — Kris Krug</p><p><strong>On Creative Transformation</strong></p><p>"It's like having a co-director that is really weird and just does random shit. But like, cool weird. 90% of the time it's unusable. But 10% of the time you get some real gold." — Luke, Animation Director</p><p>"As you go into the unknown and make a human contribution, you carry it from just being a cliche into something unique, original and compelling." — Bay Rate, VFX Legend</p><p>"For creative-minded people, it's not a lottery or slot machine anymore pulling and getting a result. Now it's more like you have control over everything you wanna build." — Tim, VFX Compositor</p><p><strong>On Musicians &amp; Technology</strong></p><p>"My punk rock heart wants everything to be strictly human. But musicians haven't even totally accepted synthesizers yet, and those are from the sixties. There's room for it. Technology isn't bad, it's just the way you use it." — Darby Yu</p><p><strong>On Youth &amp; Vibe Coding</strong></p><p>"I like coding and vibe coding in general, just building these kinds of products. It's kind of my jam. Even though it feels like I'm sacrificing my time, I really, really enjoy building them." — Prajwal, 18-year-old Hall of Fame Winner</p><p><strong>On Industry Change</strong></p><p>"Those people that were cogs in the storytelling wheel are getting to have bigger ownership of stories now. I think there's a really amazing opportunity to take the existing skill sets and experiences we all have and convert into vibrant multiple pegs of the economy with unbeatable IP." — Kevin Friel</p><p><strong>On Indigenous Voices</strong></p><p>"Because we can create things for so much cheaper and gatekeepers have traditionally been white male, this is an opportunity to highlight underrepresented voices in a way that was just impossible before." — Luke</p><p><strong>On AI Control</strong></p><p>"It's about controlling AI, not using it. If you control your money, you'll have great life. If you lose control of your money, you'll have bad situation. Same with AI." — Karu, ByteDance</p><p><strong>On Ethics (Radical Take)</strong></p><p>"There is no way to train ethically trained models. That's bullshit. I think we have to give up the idea of IP and trademark to ever enter the true age of AI." — Audience Member</p>