Before worrying about AI’s threat to humankind, here’s what else Canada can do | 24CA News
The headlines have been, to say the least, troubling.
Most just lately, Geoffrey Hinton, the so-called Godfather of AI, stop his submit at Google and warned the speedy advances in synthetic intelligence might in the end pose an existential menace to humankind.
“I think that it’s conceivable that this kind of advanced intelligence could just take over from us,” the famend British-Canadian pc scientist advised CBC’s As It Happens.
“It would mean the end of people.”
While such stark feedback are inconceivable to disregard, some specialists say they danger obscuring extra fast, sensible issues for Canada.
“Whether deliberately or inadvertently, folks who are talking about the existential risk of AI – even in the negative – are kind of building up and hyping the field,” mentioned Luke Stark, an assistant professor of knowledge and media research at Western University in London, Ont.
“I think it’s a bit of a red herring from many of the concerns about the ways these systems are being used by institutions and businesses and governments right now around the world and in Canada.”
Stark, who researches the social impacts of applied sciences corresponding to synthetic intelligence, is among the many signatories of an open letter important of the federal authorities’s proposed laws on synthetic intelligence, Bill C27.
The letter argues the federal government’s Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA), which is a part of C27, is just too brief on particulars, leaving many essential facets of the principles round AI to be determined after the legislation is handed.
Renowned AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has resigned from Google so he can converse extra freely concerning the potential risks of superior synthetic intelligence. He is the newest main tech determine to name for a slowdown in AI analysis, warning AI might eclipse human intelligence.
Look to EU for steerage, specialists say
The laws, tabled final June, just lately accomplished its second studying within the House of Commons and shall be despatched to committee for examine.
In a press release, a spokesperson for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada mentioned “the government expects that amendments will be proposed in response to testimony from experts at committee, and is open to considering amendments that would improve the bill.”
Experts say different jurisdictions, together with the European Union and the United Kingdom, have moved extra shortly towards putting in sturdy guidelines governing AI.
They cite a protracted record of human rights and privateness issues associated to the know-how, starting from its use by legislation enforcement, misinformation and situations the place it reinforces patterns of racism and discrimination.
The proposed laws would not adequately tackle such issues, mentioned Maroussia Lévesque, a PhD candidate in legislation at Harvard University who beforehand led the AI and human rights file at Global Affairs Canada.
Lévesque described the laws as an “empty shell” in a latest essay, saying it lacks “basic legal clarity.”
In an interview over Zoom, Lévesque held up a draft of the legislation coated in blue sticky tabs – every one marking an occasion the place a provision of the legislation stays undefined.
“This bill leaves really important concepts to be defined later in regulation,” she mentioned.
The invoice additionally proposes the creation of a brand new commissioner to supervise AI and knowledge in Canada, which looks as if a optimistic step on the floor for these hoping for higher oversight.
But Lévesque mentioned the place is a “misnomer,” since not like another commissioners, the AI and Data appointee will not be an unbiased agent, heading a regulatory company.
“From a structural standpoint, it is really problematic,” she mentioned.
“You’re folding protection into an innovation-driven mission and sometimes these will be at odds. It’s like putting the brakes and stepping on the accelerator at the same time.”
Lévesque mentioned the EU has a “much more robust scheme,” in relation to proposed laws on synthetic intelligence.
The European Commission started drafting their laws in 2021 and is nearing the end line.
Under the laws, corporations deploying generative AI instruments, corresponding to ChatGPT, must disclose any copyrighted materials used to develop their methods.
Lévesque likened their method to the checks required earlier than a brand new airplane or pharmaceutical drug is dropped at market.
In Stark’s view, the Liberal authorities has put an emphasis on AI as a driver of financial progress and tried to model Canada as an “ethical AI centre.”
“To fulfil the promise of that kind of messaging, I’d like to see the government being much more, broadly, consultative and much more engaged outside the kind of technical communities Montreal, and Toronto that I think have a lot of sway with the government,” he mentioned.
‘Hurry up and decelerate’
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is among the many teams hoping to be heard on this subsequent spherical of consultations.
“We have not had sufficient input from key stakeholders, minority groups and people who we think are likely to be disproportionately affected by this bill,” mentioned Tashi Alford-Duguid, a privateness lawyer with CCLA.
Fake AI-generated movies and pictures are more and more out there on-line, however selecting them out is turning into tougher and tougher. Futurist Sinead Bovell takes CBC’s David Common by way of a number of the dupes and exhibits him methods to spot them.
Alford-Duguid mentioned the federal government must take a “hurry up and slow down” method.
“The U.K. has undertaken much more extensive consultations; we know that the EU is in the midst of very extensive consultations. And while neither of those laws look like they’re going to be perfect, the Canadian government is coming in at this late hour, and trying to give us such rushed and ineffective legislation instead,” he mentioned.
“We can just look around and see we can already do better than this.”
