Responsible AI regulation needs to come faster, says tech lobby group

The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) is urging the federal government to pick up the pace on AI regulation and ensure the rules will be clear and flexible. In a report released last Friday, the lobby group shared a number of recommendations for the pending Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA). One of the three laws that make up Bill C-27, the Digital Charter Implementation Act, tabled in June 2022. AIDA aims to establish a framework for the responsible design, development, and deployment of “high-impact” AI systems. If passed, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) says it will spend the following two years putting together regulations for those who make and use AI that fit that description. A new position of AI and Data Commissioner will also be established to support the Innovation Minister in monitoring company compliance, coordinating with other regulators, and outlining criminal penalties. Canada is a leader in the AI industry, ranking fifth on Tortoise Media’s global AI index, which measures implementation, investment, and innovation. Canada also has the third largest pool of top-tier AI researchers in the world, according to MacroPolo’s global AI talent tracker. However, many of the benefits that stem from public investment in research and training are flowing out of Canada, said CCI. According to their report, 75 per cent of intellectual property rights generated through the government’s AI Strategy are owned by foreign entities, including Uber Technologies Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, and other U.S. tech giants. “The significant challenge in Canada will be constructing a policy and regulatory framework that encourages the rapid growth of domestic companies into global leaders,” said CCI, emphasizing the need for companies to have access to talent, capital, customers, and strong marketplace frameworks, including law and regulation. The council encourages the feds to prioritize trust, public rights, clear rules, and fast action, using the lessons other countries have learned from crafting their own AI regulations. There should be a clear statement in AIDA’s preamble that lays out the rights citizens and users have in regards to protection from the possible harms of AI systems, stated CCI. They also recommend, in addition to the new commissioner, that Parliament appoint a new independent technology and science officer to advise Canadians and the government on matters of public interest in the rapidly evolving tech industry. Regulation must consider the wide range of uses and impacts that AI can have, said CCI, explaining that “one size cannot fit all use cases, companies, or end users.” Similar to the European Union’s AI Act, due to come into effect in 2026, or the government’s existing Directive on Automated Decision-Making, the council recommends that AIDA also have a tiered structure with corresponding rules for specific applications of AI. This sliding scale, based on the level of the potential risks to humans, would provide flexibility to groups working on less risky AI while keeping them under the regulatory umbrella. “As major peer and competitor countries accelerate their efforts to build policy frameworks for the development and use of AI, Canada should move to be among the first countries with a durable and trusted framework to establish a global brand as a leader in responsible AI,” said CCI, urging the feds to cut their two-year regulatory development timeline down to one year. In order to allow Canadian companies to get regulatory recognition in other countries and have a better chance at scaling globally, CCI recommended the government make sure it stays aligned with the “emerging global norm” regarding AI. It also encouraged Canada to keep playing a role in the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, the OECD AI Principles, the G7 Hiroshima Process and other international policy forums. Its voice in these circles, combined with a clear and durable framework, could inspire other countries to follow suit, concluded CCI. Bill C-27 was referred to committee after its second reading in April 2023, no progress has been announced since. – Reporting by Phalen Tynes-MacDonald at pcreed@thewirereport.ca and editing by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca.

Responsible AI regulation needs to come faster, says tech lobby group

News | September 20, 2023

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Responsible AI regulation needs to come faster, says tech lobby group

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