immediac launches AI lab to help Nova Scotia businesses move faster responsibly

immediac launches AI lab to help Nova Scotia businesses move faster, responsiblyimmediac has spent nearly three decades helping organizations work smarter through digital systems. Now the Halifax-based company is taking another step. It’s opening a dedicated AI Lab in its office so businesses and community members can learn, experiment and build with artificial intelligence in a practical, hands-on way.Founder John Leahy says the move comes from a growing urgency in the Canadian economy.“I think we have a productivity problem in Canada, and I really think this is what it comes down to,” says Leahy. For him, the issue is speed, and AI is becoming a tool that helps close that gap.

Leahy’s focus on practical experimentation started early. As a kid, he sold popsicle stick jewellery boxes and later tried his hand at seasonal ice cream bicycles.“After doing that I said I never wanted to run something that required constant physical movement of inventory again,” he said. “That is one reason I love software. No trucks, no shipments, no cash handling.”That instinct for spotting what scales, and what doesn’t, still shapes immediac’s approach today. The team builds tools that remove friction, automate the tedious and help people move faster at what they do best.AI as a practical tool in daily workWhile many organizations are still figuring out where AI fits, immediac has already woven it into daily workflows across design, administration and software development. The goal is simple: cut down repetitive work and speed up output.“We are seeing productivity lifts of 25 to 50 per cent sometimes,” John said. “It makes a difference. And they are able to use all of these tools remotely because the AI runs entirely in the cloud.”A brief layout change that used to take an employee 15 minutes or even an hour can now be generated in seconds by a model trained to handle languages like HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Leahy also sees AI making software creation more accessible to people without formal technical training, as long as humans stay in the driver’s seat.Clients are pushing in the same direction, too. Leahy says businesses in all kinds of sectors are trying to understand whether AI will give them an edge.

“Every business leader, whether they are cutting down trees or running an auto repair shop, is trying to figure out if AI is going to make them irrelevant or if their competitors are going to use it better,” John said. “They want to be first.”

Building the immediac AI Lab

The AI Lab is meant to meet that demand locally. immediac has already been working with Ignite Atlantic, touring Nova Scotia and running educational sessions on emerging AI tools. Now they want a permanent studio space where people can come in, learn by doing and leave with real confidence about how these tools can support their work.

“Our plan is to have a permanent space here where we can do seminars, where people come in and use these tools,” he says. The Lab will be designed to make AI feel less intimidating and more usable. It’s a place where experimentation is normal and support is built in. Leahy says he’s also hearing sustainability concerns from first-time AI users, especially around energy use and data-centre impact. He doesn’t dismiss those questions, but he believes the benefits are already arriving in meaningful ways, and that infrastructure is getting more efficient quickly.“AI is only going to get more efficient. If you look at the most recent announcements from Nvidia, they are making chips that generate less heat. This is already moving in the right direction.”

For Leahy, the goal is straightforward. Help people spend less time on tedious tasks and more time on meaningful work.With the AI Lab, immediac is turning its internal momentum into a community resource. The hope is for it to be a local place to test, learn and build. AI is changing quickly, and Leahy hopes that hands-on learning will help Nova Scotia businesses grow their confidence and keep pace with what’s coming.