AI Adoption in Canada

The directors of Shift Insights speak with Kyle Briggs of CanInnovate about their latest report with the CSA Group and share their recommendations for human-centred, values-based AI adoption in the Canadian public and private sectors.

Canada’s history with AI should be familiar to most readers: from leading the world in the research phase, to taking a backseat on bringing the technology to market, and now considering how best to adopt and use the technology in the context of a push for technological sovereignty after the fact. Daniel and Creig raise several key questions that Canada must answer as we work to adopt AI: asking what we hope to achieve, and why. They share insights into how Canada can begin to answer these questions as a guide to driving effective AI adoption in a way that is consistent with Canadian societal values, and make concrete suggestions through which the Canadian public sector can overcome practical challenges standing between Canada and the efficiency gains promised by AI. The values-based, human-centred approach they suggest in the report should be required reading for policy makers involved in any aspect of AI adoption.

While our conversation touches on several aspects of the report itself, we cover more ground, including issues of data sovereignty, intellectual property, and the “low-innovation equilibrium” in which Canada finds itself. The interview is not a substitute for the report, and I suggest reading both together to get the full benefit of their contribution.