09/16/2026
PRESS RELEASE
CAN RICHMOND BUILD AN INDUSTRY AROUND THE SKILLS AI CANNOT REPLACE?
Civic consortium proposes "Humanity Industry Hub" as Richmond debates youth employment and the post-AI economy
RICHMOND, BC, Canada — September 15, 2026 — With Richmond's municipal election only weeks away, candidates are debating some of the city's most difficult challenges, from substance abuse and youth employment to the impact of artificial intelligence and rising property taxes.
Against this backdrop, a consortium of civic organizations has proposed an unconventional response: establishing a "Humanity Industry Hub" focused on developing the human capabilities that artificial intelligence cannot easily replace.
The proposal emerged from an inaugural "International Civility & Human Skills" demonstration held in Richmond on September 5, organized by Patrick Chun, co-founder of IITTI World Civility Index.
Chun presented IITTI's human-skills framework, which has been used in countries in Southeast Asia and South America to encourage continuous development of often-overlooked capabilities including social etiquette, empathy and intercultural awareness. The initiative originated in Richmond in 2011 and is now being brought back to its place of origin.
The consortium's premise is that the rise of AI should not lead citizens simply to ask which jobs will disappear. But rather, we should ask which human capabilities will become more valuable—and how those capabilities can be deliberately developed in young people.
The proposed Humanity Industry Hub would complement existing education by creating opportunities for young people to develop human-centric skills alongside their academic education.
Proponents argue that capabilities such as communication, respect, empathy, intercultural awareness and relationship-building may become increasingly important in a post-AI economy, contributing to greater resilience and providing a sense of purpose, meaning.
The concept is also intended to generate economic activities. Potential areas include content creation, advocacy, professional services, government liaison and infrastructure development.
In the longer term, the consortium believes a Richmond-developed model could potentially be adapted, shared or licensed by other municipalities in British Columbia and beyond, creating opportunities for new economic activity associated with Richmond.
The September 5 demonstration brought together a cross-section of Richmond civic and educational stakeholders. Special guests included Mimi Chan and Jesaidy La Barbera, along with new and incumbent school trustees and city council candidates, including Rod Belleza, Grace Tsang, Sandra Nixon, Phyllis Tang, Prof. Adnan Sarwar and Jenny Mata.
Mayoral candidate Dickens Cheung also attended the event. His campaign has separately published a newspaper referring to the "Humanity Hub" framework focused on developing "the skills AI cannot replace."
Following the demonstration, IITTI and its civic partners will explore further development, bringing together education, business, non-profit organizations and government around the development and application of human-centric skills as a sustainable ecosystem.
"The question is not simply whether AI will replace people," said Patrick Chun. "The more important question is whether we are prepared to develop the human capabilities that become more valuable precisely because AI is becoming more capable."
