TL;DR:
- Seventy-six tech leaders and academics signed an open letter in support of the Canadian government’s proposed bill to regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA), introduced under Bill C-27.
- The bill aims to protect Canadians by ensuring high-impact AI systems are developed and deployed in a way that identifies, assesses, and mitigates the risks of harm and bias, including discrimination, bias, misinformation, and impacts on mental health and the labor market.
- The adoption of AI is on the rise in Canada, with 37% of companies now using the technology, according to a survey. However, Canadian companies are trailing their US counterparts, particularly in the adoption of generative AI.
- The survey found that only 43% of Canadian organizations using AI have instituted responsible AI frameworks, compared to 72% in the US.
- Canadian companies like Unbounce, Hootsuite, Alayacare, and Ada have been leading the AI revolution, launching innovative AI-powered solutions in recent weeks.
- The signatories of the open letter urge political representatives to support the bill and take timely action to ensure AI is developed and deployed in a responsible manner.
- They acknowledge that regulating AI supports innovation and economic growth and that by providing a practical and robust legal framework, Canadian businesses can operate in alignment with forthcoming requirements in other jurisdictions.
- Should Canada be one of the first countries to adopt its legislation, it would send a strong signal to businesses around the world that they can turn to Canada for trustworthy and responsible AI systems.
Main AI News:
As the technology community continues to evolve and expand, leaders and experts are lending their support to the Canadian government’s proposed bill to regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI). A recent survey has revealed that the adoption of AI is on the rise among Canadian businesses, with 37% now utilizing the technology.
Leading Canadian tech firms, such as Unbounce, Hootsuite, Alayacare, and Ada, have been at the forefront of this AI revolution, launching cutting-edge innovations in recent weeks. These startups are harnessing the power of AI to streamline various operations, from content creation to customer service and even staff scheduling.
According to AlayaCare’s Senior Vice President of Data and Intelligence, Naomi Goldapple, the decision to adopt AI is driven by a desire to provide faster and more convenient services to customers. This sentiment is reflected in the reasoning behind the widespread use of AI by many Canadian companies.
The open letter in support of Bill C-27 was coordinated by the Montreal-based AI research institute, Mila. The letter was signed by a number of influential figures in the tech industry, including Yoshua Bengio, the Scientific Director of Mila and IVADO, and a Professor at the Université de Montréal, Julien Billot, CEO of Scale AI and Next AI, Sam Ramadori, CEO of Brainbox, and Valentine Goddard, the founder and executive director of the AI Impact Alliance.
The proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA), introduced by the Liberal government under Bill C-27, has garnered support from a coalition of 76 experts and leaders in the technology community. The act aims to protect Canadians by ensuring that high-impact AI systems are developed and deployed in a manner that addresses, assesses, and mitigates any risks of harm and bias.
The AIDA outlines criminal penalties and prohibitions related to the use of data obtained illegally for AI development and sets a framework for prohibiting the irresponsible deployment of AI that could cause harm or perpetuate fraud.
The signatories of the open letter caution that delays in the implementation of AIDA could have significant implications for the technology industry and the protection of Canadian citizens. They urge all parties to work collaboratively to move AIDA forward before the summer to ensure a timely regulatory framework that guides companies and protects Canadians.
While acknowledging the impressive potential of AI for economic growth and societal advancements, such as in the fields of health and the environment, the letter writers also emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing the potential risks posed by AI systems.
The signatories of the open letter are well aware of the potential harms associated with the rapid development of AI, including discrimination, bias, misinformation, negative impacts on mental health, particularly among children, and disruptions to the labor market. They also express concern that as powerful AI systems continue to emerge, new critical risks may arise, and current ones may intensify.
Given the growing adoption of AI, the signatories urge political representatives to support the bill and take timely action to ensure that AI is developed and deployed in a responsible manner. They acknowledge that parliamentary processes can take time but stress the urgency of action on the bill to safeguard Canadians from the potential harms of AI.
According to a KPMG survey, one-third of Canadian companies are already leveraging AI, but this lags behind the adoption rate in the United States, where 72% of companies are using the technology. The survey, which assessed the use of AI among senior business and technology leaders at large Canadian and US companies, highlights that AI is increasingly becoming a competitive advantage for businesses.
In particular, Canadian organizations are trailing their US counterparts in the adoption of generative AI, a specific type of artificial intelligence that uses algorithms to produce content quickly. However, AI is much broader in scope, encompassing a wide range of applications and technologies.
The KPMG survey echoes the call for responsible AI put forth by the tech leaders and academics in their open letter. The survey highlights a disparity between the implementation of responsible AI frameworks in Canadian and US organizations, with only 43% of Canadian organizations using AI having instituted such frameworks, compared to 72% in the US. Furthermore, while 70% of US organizations believe they strictly adhere to these frameworks, only half of the Canadian organizations hold the same belief.
Despite the challenges, the survey suggests that Canadian organizations are embracing AI and integrating it into their products and platforms. AI is being used for a range of tasks, from content creation to employee scheduling, and Canadian businesses that are not adopting AI today run the risk of falling behind their competitors in the US.
Unbounce, a landing page and AI-powered conversion optimization software startup has recently launched URL to Ads, a pioneering AI tool that enables marketers to generate relevant ad copy for multiple platforms by simply inserting a URL from a website or landing page.
As Canadian businesses continue to adopt AI, leading tech firms like Unbounce, Hootsuite, and Ada are at the forefront of this revolution, launching innovative AI-powered solutions.
Unbounce CEO Felicia Bochicchio has stated that 2022 will be a pivotal year for the company, with a focus on building AI solutions that are accessible to small and medium-sized businesses.
Hootsuite has entered the AI space with OwlyWriter AI, a content generator powered by Generative Pre-trained Transformer technology (GPT) and prompt engineering. The tool is designed to inspire social content ideas, generate new text, turn web content into social posts, and rewrite top-performing posts with simple prompts.
Ada, an AI-powered customer service automation startup, has added a suite of generative AI tools to help companies resolve complex customer inquiries across multiple channels instantly. Despite phone support being the most popular and expensive customer channel, Ada has expanded its platform to include generative AI and voice capabilities, ensuring that its clients have access to automation across all channels.
As AI continues to be integrated into businesses, home care software company AlayaCare has launched Visit Optimizer, a feature developed by AlayaLabs, the research and development arm of the startup. The Visit Optimizer application uses algorithms, machine learning, and AI to automate caregiver scheduling, improve patient experience, and enhance caregiver scheduling for better client care and outcomes.
The signatories of the open letter in support of Bill C-27, which aims to regulate AI in Canada, emphasize that regulating AI supports innovation and economic growth. By providing a practical and robust legal framework, Canadian businesses can operate in alignment with forthcoming requirements in other jurisdictions, including Europe, the UK, and the US.
Should Canada be among the first countries to adopt its legislation, it would send a strong signal to businesses around the world that they can and should turn to Canada and Canadian companies for trustworthy and responsible AI systems that uphold human rights.
Conlcusion:
The Canadian AI market is rapidly growing, with 37% of companies now utilizing the technology. Leading Canadian tech firms, like Unbounce, Hootsuite, Alayacare, and Ada, are at the forefront of this revolution, launching innovative AI-powered solutions. Despite the growth, Canadian companies are trailing their US counterparts in the adoption of generative AI and responsible AI frameworks.
A coalition of 76 tech leaders and academics have signed an open letter in support of the Canadian government’s proposed bill, the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA), to regulate AI and protect Canadians from potential risks posed by AI systems. The bill has garnered support from the technology community, and if Canada were to be one of the first countries to adopt the legislation, it would send a strong signal to businesses around the world that they can turn to Canada for trustworthy and responsible AI systems.
