University of Toronto Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton—the computer scientist ‘known as the Godfather of AI’—explains why, after a lifetime spent developing a type of artificial intelligence known as deep learning, he is suddenly warning about existential threats to humanity.

Canada took an important step towards effectively regulating artificial intelligence when Parliament completed its second reading of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act in April 2023. But there is still much to do to ensure that this agile regulatory framework is put to effective use.

Is AI development moving too fast? In a panel on TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin, SRI Director and Chair Gillian Hadfield was joined by Jeremie Harris and Pedro Domingos to discuss what risks AI poses to humanity, and what we should do about it.

The potentials of generative AI technologies are exciting, but they come with new sets of risks, observes SRI Policy Lead Phil Dawson, and enterprises must develop new strategies for third-party risk management to navigate the emergent challenges associated with these systems.

The rise of AI language models highlights the need for digital literacy skills to manage the vast amounts of information to which people are exposed, write Valérie Kindarji and Wendy H. Wong. The authors explain why digital literacy is a necessary framework to function in a tech-driven world, and a critical pillar of democracy.

The rise of ChatGPT is challenging our approaches to teaching and assessing writing in the liberal arts and sciences, writes SRI Faculty Affiliate Rhonda McEwen, who argues that generative AI technologies are here to stay and should be part of the world for which we prepare our students.

SRI Associate Director Peter Loewen argues that to unlock the value of artificial intelligence for the public sector, governments must double down on the importance of human and democratic values.

ChatGPT’s ability to respond to user prompts in ways that are eerily similar to humans has sparked headlines and concerns around the potential impacts of large language models. In a panel on TVO’s The Agenda, Gillian Hadfield discussed why the system is a “game changer.”

Canadian data laws need to respect the sovereignty of Indigenous data, argue John Borrows and Lisa Austin. There are a number of provisions in which the newly-proposed Bill C-27 legislation could better align with Indigenous laws and values, and in doing so address the urgent goal of reconciliation.

Responding to Bill C-27’s proposed Consumer Privacy Protection Act, Jamie Duncan and Wendy H. Wong explain why Canadians need data and privacy legislation that protects us not just from individual dangers, but collective harms as well.

How will Bill C-27’s Consumer Privacy Protection Act change the obligations of large internet platforms and search engines, especially with respect to their ability to target advertising and recommend content? Open questions remain around the new legislation that hinge on the interpretation of platforms’ necessary and legitimate interests.

Does Canada’s newly-proposed Consumer Privacy Protection Act sufficiently promote and protect the digital identities of youth? Guest contributor Michael J. S. Beauvais and Leslie Regan Shade argue that the draft legislation takes a thin view of consent and choice requirements for online services, and that clearer and more stringent rules around data privacy are needed.