The history of the semiconductor industry in Taiwan is often misunderstood, obscured by competing narratives and outright misconceptions.
Will we simply hope that our raw materials will sustain our prosperity? Or do we need to become aggressively proactive in building a new knowledge-based economy? The latter will take much greater effort than has been deployed so far.
What would be the role of Parliament and its accountability requirements if AI can operate outside human control? How could backbench MPs possibly hold ministers to account if AI can undermine human influence in striking decisions? How will Parliament and government establish the difference between AI’s benefits and the problematic loss of human influence in shaping policies and delivering programs?
AI is nothing without data. The defence procurement mandate must answer the real sovereignty question of whether the systems powering this country’s most critical national capabilities will remain governed by Canadian interests, protected under Canadian standards and be resilient when pressure comes.
In a May 21 decision, the broadcasting regulator upped the contribution rules for audiovisual streaming firms, so that 15 per cent of their annual revenues—up from the current five per cent—support domestic programming. It’s expected to bring about $2-billion into the Canadian media ecosystem each year.
Critics warn Bill C-22 risks weakening cybersecurity as telecommunications firms and other service providers could be legally obligated to store Canadian users’ metadata for up to a year. But the public safety minister says some tech firms are ‘misinterpreting’ the bill, and that ‘safeguards’ are written in.
Proposed reforms to pesticide regulations place immediate economic considerations above health costs that are harder to measure in quarterly budgets, but are very real in people’s lives.
Carney’s Liberals have left a lot to be defined through the undemocratic regulatory process. The plan is to be vague when shoving it down our throats via Parliament.
In particular, we need to invest in innovation and build a new generation of large Canadian firms that have scale and scope for global success, with high-paying jobs for workers and wealth generation to sustain and improve public services.
Dr. Richard Hatchett was recently in Ottawa seeking support for the project. His trip’s timing—amid news of the spread of hantavirus on a cruise ship—was a coincidence, but has reinforced ‘that these kinds of threats are continually and unpredictably emerging,’ he says.
Bill C-268 would require the CRTC to verify cellular coverage data reported by telecommunication and providers, and also force Ottawa to review Canada’s spectrum framework every five years.
Boosting skilled trades is critical to many of the Carney government’s plans to reinvent our economy. Carney has said that, by 2033, Canada will need more than 1.4 million new trades workers ‘to build homes, expand transit and develop energy infrastructure across the country.’
Slow and fragmented processes to turn ideas into usable solutions means homegrown firms look abroad for clients, while Canada has to rely on foreign production, says Jean Belzile of the École de technologie supérieure.
European Union politicians have voted for a ‘digital minimum age’ of 16, and banning some addictive elements of social-media sites. As Ottawa contends with these concerns, one European politician says laws should also focus on regulating platforms.
The government’s plan to build sovereign AI infrastructure continues to funnel money into foreign-controlled models. Open-source AI remains the missing pillar.
If you are wondering whether a degree in software engineering is still worth pursuing, the answer is yes—not because the field is unchanged, but because it is changing profoundly.
Agriculture is one of Canada’s most innovative sectors. Our national AI policy should reflect that.
Governance capacity and workforce preparedness, not compute spending, will determine whether Canada captures AI’s economic promise.
Industry, universities and all levels of government should continue to explore and support collaborative AI technologies that put people first.
Combining these tools with a growing research and talent base that can support AI model development that reflects Canadian social values would allow for an approach that AI adoption that was unique.
Canada’s approach to privacy and AI should be deliberate rather than reactionary. What is needed is thoughtful evolution.
In a preview of what’s to come, the Liberal government unveiled six ‘pillars’ of its forthcoming AI strategy in the April 28 spring economic update.
Conservative MP Raquel Dancho says ‘any employment gains’ from the 2023 Rogers-Shaw deal ‘have been wiped out three-fold,’ with recent news the Canadian telecom giant is offering voluntary buyouts to about 10,000 staff.
Online platforms like social media and AI tools are undeniably driving kids’ future. Legislation ensuring safety, privacy, and meaningful participation is the seatbelt. For every day that Canada chooses to delay online safety legislation, it is making a choice, which our children shouldn’t be paying for.
