The federal government will open a research center to study the dangers posed by artificial intelligence technology.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced Tuesday the creation of the Canadian Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Safety in Montreal. He said the center will be important in building public trust in artificial intelligence technology.
“If you want people to adopt it, you need trust,” he says. “Without adoption, we will be wasting the great potential of many new technologies.”
The government says AI could be used for election interference, disinformation campaigns and cybersecurity breaches.
At a meeting in Seoul in May, world leaders agreed to create a network of publicly supported safety agencies to research and test the technology. Champagne said Canada was one of the first countries to launch such a lab.
Canada’s Artificial Intelligence Safety Association plans to collaborate with similar organizations in other countries as part of the International Network of AI Safety Associations, with its first conference scheduled to be held next week in San Francisco.
Governments and international organizations are working to design guardrails for AI as experts warn that the technology, which is already changing daily life, could pose existential risks.
The Center will be home to Canada’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development. The company will receive $50 million from Ottawa over five years, part of $2.4 billion in AI funding announced in this year’s federal budget.
The institute will work on government-directed projects, focusing on priorities such as cybersecurity and joint testing with other countries. The government will also fund research by experts in Canada and abroad through the Canadian Institute for Advanced Study.
Elissa Strom, executive director of pan-Canadian AI strategy at the Canadian Institute of Advanced Study, said global collaboration is essential because AI technology knows no borders.
Canada has been a long-time leader in AI research, she said. “The added value Canada brings to the global conversation is our expertise and leadership in AI research.”
At the conference in San Francisco, representatives from AI research institutions from around the world will consider new topics and opportunities for collaboration, she said.
“We hope that we can come back from that meeting with some ideas about where we want to focus, at least initially.”
Strom said there are already concerns and questions about how AI is deployed, including misinformation, disinformation, and synthetic content like deepfakes, but developing new technological approaches to identify or prevent false content. He said there are opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
With files from Associated Press
