The federal privacy watchdog says he’s pushing to ensure Canada’s artificial intelligence systems and strategies are based on trust, noting only a human-based responsible approach will help guarantee positive outcomes.
Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne’s comments on Monday came as results from Ottawa’s public consultation on its forthcoming AI strategy showed a deep skepticism of the technology — particularly generative AI platforms like chatbots — and concerns about bias, misinformation and national security.
Speaking to the House of Commons ethics and privacy committee on Monday, Dufresne said a focus on privacy will not only protect and spur innovation and economic opportunities from AI but also ensure all Canadians benefit.
“The value of this innovation will be maximized when it is accompanied by trust,” he said.
The protection of personal information becomes even more crucial when it comes to AI, he added, because many platforms have used that information to train their learning models.
Parliament is conducting multiple studies on the federal government’s approach to AI adoption and developing its domestic sector. Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for broad adoption of AI across the public service and throughout the economy, while ensuring equity for Canadians using the technology.
In separate testimony to the House of Commons science and research committee, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said the “refreshed” federal AI strategy — which he said will be unveiled in the first quarter of this year — is rooted in the concept of “AI for all.”
“No matter where you live in Canada, no matter your background, no matter your age, no matter your income, this technology will work for you — responsibly, reliably and safely,” he told MPs.
“It will strengthen our economy. It will deliver better public services. It will create good jobs for Canadians and protect people, especially children and vulnerable communities from harm.”
Solomon added that legislation is also being finalized to update Canada’s privacy laws, which Dufresne’s office uses to investigate social media platforms and other businesses.
Most recently, the privacy commissioner announced it was investigating X’s Grok AI chatbot for creating and spreading non-consensual and sexualized images of women and children.
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Dufresne has repeatedly called for the privacy law to be strengthened by giving his office the power to penalize companies that don’t comply with recommendations stemming from investigations. The law does give the watchdog powers to compel companies to cooperate with those probes.
He noted Monday the case of Pornhub’s Canadian owner Aylo, which has declined to ensure meaningful consent is obtained from everyone who appears in user-uploaded videos — a key recommendation that Dufresne has taken the company to court over.
“Young people are very vulnerable because they’re swimming in it,” he said in French. “Women, the same goes for seniors. There are a lot of groups that need to be protected.”
'Deep skepticism' in public consultations
Many of the same concerns raised by Dufresne were summarized in the government’s report, released Monday, on its month-long public consultations on the new AI strategy last fall.
It found online respondents called for a human-focused approach that protects ethical standards and sovereignty over the domestic sector and innovation.
“Stakeholders were divided between optimism for AI’s potential and skepticism about its risks,” the report said.
“Supporters see opportunities for productivity gains and economic growth, while critics warn of ethical, environmental and social harms.”
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“Key concerns” raised included loss of intellectual property, potential foreign dominance over Canadian systems, lack of regulation and accountability, environmental degradation and job displacement.
Out of the 11,300 public comments submitted — which the government said it used AI to comb through and summarize, with “human reviewers” validating and refining those results — just over 3,100 had identified locations. Two per cent of those were from outside Canada.
Bloc Quebecois MP Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, the vice-chair of the science committee, moved a motion at the end of Solomon’s testimony calling on his ministry to provide a list of the names of everyone who provided submissions, saying it was a matter of transparency.
The motion was deferred to a later date.
The report noted that the government’s AI task force focused on attracting and retaining global talent, strengthening cybersecurity and supporting commercialization, as well as privacy and data protections.
Solomon noted the strategy will also prioritize job creation and training to ensure workers potentially displaced by AI can transition into “the economy of the future.”
He added that keeping AI talent and intellectual property within Canada, using Canadian firms and innovation, will also be a top concern.
“We don’t want to essentially pay rent to use other countries’ material,” he said.
“If we build it here and keep it here, it means that we’re growing the jobs and the innovation here in Canada. That is really core part of sovereignty.”
The minister added the topic of digital sovereignty was “a core question to our national strategy,” which is why Carney tasked him with accelerating the new federal strategy by two years.
Dufresne said he’s heard concerns when speaking to his G7 colleagues and other international partners about the potential negative impacts of AI, but that those concerns are not unanimous.
“The message we hear is what can we do to protect ourselves now,” he said in French.
“I think improving privacy, having elements such as human control and consent, are all things that will lead to that (negative) evolution being less likely.”
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