ATB Ventures tackles digital ID, bias in AI to support technology growth in Alberta

ATB Ventures, the research and development arm of financial institution ATB Financial, has announced an intention to support work into digital identity advancements and removing bias from artificial intelligence applications like biometrics.

The organization plans to invest in different technologies and develop others in-house. One technology developed by ATB Ventures is the ATB Turing Box, which provides a machine-learning framework for removing bias from AI, and has already been implemented by ATB Financial.

Oliu, a self-sovereign identity (SSI) platform, has also been developed by ATB Ventures to support digital ID for healthcare, finance, government and consumer applications.

“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt for years to come,” comments Sue McGill, head of innovation for ATB Ventures. “As we embrace the next big wave of innovation, we are focusing on addressing fundamental challenges like data privacy, AI safety and digital identity.”

ATB Financial is a member of the Digital Identification and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC), which launched the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework to set standards for digital ID in the country last year.

“Guided by data, our team is exploring the art of the possible, imagining identity beyond birth certificates and social insurance numbers where people directly control their personal information as they move seamlessly through the world,” said McGill.

ATB Financial operates in the Canadian province of Alberta, and its President and CEO Curtis Stange said the company hopes to build on Alberta’s growing reputation for technology leadership.

“Customers are at the centre of everything we do at ATB and ATB Ventures is another way we are supporting customers as their needs grow and change,” Stange said.

Article Topics

AI  |  ATB Ventures  |  biometric-bias  |  biometrics  |  Canada  |  DIACC  |  digital identity  |  research and development