News Summary

At the Attention: Govern or Be Governed Conference in Montréal, Canada’s AI minister, Evan Solomon, announced plans to introduce new legislation on artificial intelligence and data privacy. This move comes as experts urge Canada to align with international standards amid growing concerns about digital governance. The conference, organized by the Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy, gathered around 250 researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss technology regulation in Canada. Solomon emphasized the need to address issues such as deepfakes and data transfer, and aims to implement ‘light, tight, right’ regulations that support innovation without stifling it. The minister’s approach contrasts with the European Union’s stricter regulatory stance, which emphasizes accountability through laws like the Digital Services Act and the AI Act. Canada’s privacy commissioner, Philippe Dufresne, echoed the need for robust enforcement to protect citizens, particularly children. Prominent AI scientist Yoshua Bengio highlighted the importance of international collaboration to counterbalance the influence of large AI powers like the US and China. The discussion pointed to a critical juncture for Canada to catch up with global AI regulatory efforts while fostering domestic innovation.