If youre passionate about cutting edge applications of generative AI and LLMs, this is the opportunity for you. Join a team of machine learning scientists and domain experts working at the forefront of NLP innovation, developing Agentic AI RAG and chatbot systems from the ground up. Collaborate with and be mentored by some of the brightest minds in AI as you shape the future of intelligent systems.

- Dave Staszak, Machine Learning Scientist and Adam Danyleyko, Product Owner, Advanced Technology

About the Role

This is a paid residency that will be undertaken over a twelve-month period with the potential to be hired by our client, AUC, afterwards (note: at the discretion of the client). The Resident will report to an Amii Scientist and regularly consult with the client team to share insights and engage in knowledge transfer activities. Successful candidates will be members of a cross-functional project team with backgrounds in ML research, project management, software engineering, and new product development. This is a rare opportunity to be mentored by world-class scientists and to develop something truly impactful.

About the Client

The Alberta Utilities Commission is an independent, quasi-judicial agency of the province of Alberta. The AUC is responsible to ensure that the delivery of Albertas utility service takes place in a manner that is fair, responsible and in the public interest.

We regulate investor-owned natural gas, electric and water utilities and certain municipally owned electric utilities to ensure that customers receive safe and reliable service at just and reasonable rates. The AUC ensures that electric facilities are built, operated and decommissioned in an efficient and environmentally responsible way. The AUC also provides regulatory oversight of issues related to the development and operation of the wholesale electricity market in Alberta as well as the retail gas and electricity markets in the province.

About the Project

Project Objective:

The Artificial Machine Intelligence Institute (AMII) and the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) Corporate Services propose conducting an AI proof of concept (PoC) utilizing advanced large language models (LLMs) augmented with the AUC's proprietary data to analyze solar power generation applications submitted by proponents. The LLM will be hosted within the AUC's Azure landing zone, ensuring seamless integration with existing cloud infrastructure and adherence to security and compliance standards.

Initially, the LLM will assess each application to verify compliance with the AUC's published requirements for power generation applications (Rule 007). It will then generate a comprehensive briefing memo using the AUC's standardized templates, tailored for Commission panel members, AUC executives, and legal counsel. The memo will highlight the application's particulars, nuances, and potential areas of concern.

To enhance the probability of success, the LLM will initially be configured to update the briefing memo only when new or revised Information Requests (IRs) are added to the application. As the PoC progresses successfully, the LLM will demonstrate its adaptability by being reconfigured and retrained to dynamically update the briefing memo by incorporating additional information added to the application.

Furthermore, the PoC will implement a chatbot interface to enable conversational interactions, allowing users to engage with the LLM iteratively. This feature will facilitate a deeper and more nuanced understanding of each application. By hosting the LLM on the AUC Azure platform, we ensure scalability, robust data security, and alignment with our organization's existing technological ecosystem.

Expected Outcome:

The tool will significantly reduce the time and resources spent manually analyzing solar power-generating applications for compliance with Rule 007 and generating the required briefing note(s) intended for Commission panel members, AUC executives and legal counsel.

Scalability:

The tool will be designed with scalability, enabling future extension to other regulatory applications submitted to the AUC.

Security and Privacy:

Security and privacy are critical to this tools success. It will be designed to handle sensitive application data securely, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations and preventing unauthorized access. Robust encryption, user authentication, and data protection protocols will safeguard all communications and stored data. This AI-driven solution will streamline regulatory workflows while maintaining the highest standards of security and privacy.

Required Skills / Expertise

Are you passionate about building great solutions? Youll be presented with opportunities to both personally and professionally develop as you build your career. Were looking for a talented and enthusiastic individual with a solid background in machine learning, specifically NLP and LLMs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, and optimize ML algorithms for Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Agentic tasks (summarization, Q&A, iterative generation, etc.)

• Identify, prepare, and optimize large structured and unstructured datasets for ML modeling
• Conduct applied research on ML techniques, with a focus on understanding and addressing the limitations of existing models
• Collaborate with project team and stakeholders to develop minimum viable products (MVPs) and client focused solutions
• Engage in regular client meetings, contributing to presentations and reports on project progress
• Optimize ML pipelines to ensure efficiency, scalability, and real-time processing capabilities
• Support the productionalization and deployment of models in client environment

Required Qualifications:

• Completion of a graduate level program or higher (M.S./Ph.D) in Computer Science, ML or Engineering
• Research or project experience in machine learning, specifically using NLP tools and techniques
• Proficient in Python programming language and related ML frameworks, libraries and toolkits (e.g. Scikit learn, PyTorch, Pandas, Tensorflow, JAX)
• Familiarity with linux, Git version control, and writing clean code
• A positive attitude towards learning and understanding a new applied domain
• Must be legally eligible to work in Canada

Preferred Qualifications:

• Publication record in peer-reviewed academic conferences or relevant journals in machine learning

Non-Technical Requirements:

• Desire to take ownership of a problem and demonstrated leadership skills
• Interdisciplinary team player enthusiastic about working together to achieve excellence
• Capable of critical and independent thought
• Able to communicate technical concepts clearly and advise on the application of machine intelligence
• Intellectual curiosity and the desire to learn new things, techniques, and technologies

Why You Should Apply

Besides gaining industry experience, additional perks include:

• Work under the mentorship of an Amii Scientist for the duration of the project
• Participate in professional development activities
• Gain access to the Amii community and events
• Get paid for your work (a fair and equitable rate of pay will be negotiated at the time of offer)
• Build your professional network
• The opportunity for an ongoing machine learning role at the clients organization at the end of the term (at the clients discretion)

About Amii

One of Canadas three main institutes for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, our world-renowned researchers drive fundamental and applied research at the University of Alberta (and other academic institutions), training some of the worlds top scientific talent. Our cross-functional teams work collaboratively with Alberta-based businesses and organizations to build AI capacity and translate scientific advancement into industry adoption and economic impact.

How to Apply

If this sounds like the opportunity you've been waiting for, please dont wait for the closing January 6, 2025 to apply - were excited to add a new member to the Amii team for this role, and the posting may come down sooner than the closing date if we find the right candidate before the posting closes! When sending your application, please send your resume and cover letter indicating why you think you'd be a fit for Amii. In your cover letter, please include one professional accomplishment you are most proud of and why.

Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada at the time of application.

Amii is an equal opportunity employer and values a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability. Accommodations for disability-related needs throughout the recruitment and selection process are available upon request. Any information provided by you for accommodations will be kept confidential and wont be used in the selection process.