Want the federal government to hear your thoughts on AI? New consultation launched

Want the federal government to hear your thoughts on AI? New consultation launched

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/human-rights-groups-artificial-intelligence-consultation-9.7057467

Publish Date: 2026-01-25 08:00:00

Source Domain: www.cbc.ca

Here is a summary of the article on the Canadian government’s approach to developing its first national Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy:

• Human Rights Groups Initiate “People’s Consultation.”: A number of human rights groups and advocates have launched a “people’s consultation” on AI, which will be delivered to the federal government as it works on its national AI strategy.

• Critique of Federal AI Task Force: Over 160 signatories, including civil libertarians, unions, and academics, criticize the federally-convened AI task force for its membership, which they argue skews towards the tech industry and AI proponents.

• Imbalance of Expertise: The groups say the government’s initial consultation was rushed and did not adequately accommodate diverse concerns, particularly from labour and environmental experts.

• Concerns About AI’s Impact on Employment: There are concerns that AI could displace workers, especially those in creative industries, and that AI algorithms may introduce bias into hiring processes.

• Environmental and Community Impacts: There are worries that the prioritization of AI data centres could burden nearby communities with high energy bills and environmental concerns due to their significant water consumption.

• Inclusive Consultation Process: This alternative consultation is designed to include broader community input beyond just AI experts to ensure comprehensive consideration of AI’s impacts.

• Multi-Avenue Input Gathering: The federal government claims to collect input through various channels, including public questionnaires, the AI task force, roundtables, and discussions with stakeholders like labour representatives and industry.

• Ongoing Strategy Development: Despite concerns, the government assures that the national AI strategy development is ongoing and all feedback is being carefully reviewed.