Privateness Commissioner Philippe Dufresne’s feedback on Monday got here as outcomes from Ottawa’s public session on its forthcoming AI technique confirmed a deep skepticism of the know-how — notably generative AI platforms like chatbots — and issues about bias, misinformation and nationwide safety.
Talking to the Home of Commons ethics and privateness committee on Monday, Dufresne mentioned a deal with privateness is not going to solely shield and spur innovation and financial alternatives from AI but additionally guarantee all Canadians profit.
“The worth of this innovation shall be maximized when it’s accompanied by belief,” he mentioned.
The safety of private data turns into much more essential with regards to AI, he added, as a result of many platforms have used that data to coach their studying fashions.
Parliament is conducting a number of research on the federal authorities’s strategy to AI adoption and creating its home sector. Prime Minister Mark Carney has referred to as for broad adoption of AI throughout the general public service and all through the economic system, whereas making certain fairness for Canadians utilizing the know-how.
In separate testimony to the Home of Commons science and analysis committee, Synthetic Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon mentioned the “refreshed” federal AI technique — which he mentioned shall be unveiled within the first quarter of this 12 months — is rooted within the idea of “AI for all.”
“Irrespective of the place you reside in Canada, irrespective of your background, irrespective of your age, irrespective of your earnings, this know-how will give you the results you want — responsibly, reliably and safely,” he informed MPs.
“It is going to strengthen our economic system. It is going to ship higher public companies. It is going to create good jobs for Canadians and shield folks, particularly kids and susceptible communities from hurt.”
Solomon added that laws can be being finalized to replace Canada’s privateness legal guidelines, which Dufresne’s workplace makes use of to research social media platforms and different companies.
Most not too long ago, the privateness commissioner introduced it was investigating X’s Grok AI chatbot for creating and spreading non-consensual and sexualized pictures of ladies and kids.
Get day by day Nationwide information
Get the day’s high information, political, financial, and present affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox as soon as a day.
Dufresne has repeatedly referred to as for the privateness regulation to be strengthened by giving his workplace the facility to penalize corporations that don’t adjust to suggestions stemming from investigations. The regulation does give the watchdog powers to compel corporations to cooperate with these probes.
He famous Monday the case of Pornhub’s Canadian proprietor Aylo, which has declined to make sure significant consent is obtained from everybody who seems in user-uploaded movies — a key advice that Dufresne has taken the corporate to courtroom over.
“Younger individuals are very susceptible as a result of they’re swimming in it,” he mentioned in French. “Ladies, the identical goes for seniors. There are loads of teams that must be protected.”
‘Deep skepticism’ in public consultations
Most of the identical issues raised by Dufresne have been summarized within the authorities’s report, launched Monday, on its month-long public consultations on the brand new AI technique final fall.
It discovered on-line respondents referred to as for a human-focused strategy that protects moral requirements and sovereignty over the home sector and innovation.
“Stakeholders have been divided between optimism for AI’s potential and skepticism about its dangers,” the report mentioned.
“Supporters see alternatives for productiveness features and financial progress, whereas critics warn of moral, environmental and social harms.”
“Key issues” raised included lack of mental property, potential international dominance over Canadian methods, lack of regulation and accountability, environmental degradation and job displacement.
Out of the 11,300 public feedback submitted — which the federal government mentioned it used AI to comb by means of and summarize, with “human reviewers” validating and refining these outcomes — simply over 3,100 had recognized places. Two per cent of these have been from exterior Canada.
Bloc Quebecois MP Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, the vice-chair of the science committee, moved a movement on the finish of Solomon’s testimony calling on his ministry to offer a listing of the names of everybody who supplied submissions, saying it was a matter of transparency.
The movement was deferred to a later date.
The report famous that the federal government’s AI job pressure targeted on attracting and retaining world expertise, strengthening cybersecurity and supporting commercialization, in addition to privateness and knowledge protections.
Solomon famous the technique may even prioritize job creation and coaching to make sure staff probably displaced by AI can transition into “the economic system of the long run.”
He added that protecting AI expertise and mental property inside Canada, utilizing Canadian corporations and innovation, may even be a high concern.
“We don’t wish to primarily pay lease to make use of different international locations’ materials,” he mentioned.
“If we construct it right here and preserve it right here, it signifies that we’re rising the roles and the innovation right here in Canada. That’s actually core a part of sovereignty.”
The minister added the subject of digital sovereignty was “a core query to our nationwide technique,” which is why Carney tasked him with accelerating the brand new federal technique by two years.
Dufresne mentioned he’s heard issues when talking to his G7 colleagues and different worldwide companions in regards to the potential destructive impacts of AI, however that these issues are usually not unanimous.
“The message we hear is what can we do to guard ourselves now,” he mentioned in French.
“I believe enhancing privateness, having parts corresponding to human management and consent, are all issues that can result in that (destructive) evolution being much less seemingly.”
© 2026 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
Leave a Reply