Over the past two years, much of my writing in this space has focused on the accelerating risks associated with artificial intelligence and the uneven state of AI regulation in Canada. I have written about stalled federal legislation, the growing role of privacy regulators, the increased risks of AI use for regulated professionals, and the early signs of AI related litigation beginning to surface in Canadian courts. Taken together, these developments point to a growing tension. Artificial intelligence is being deployed at speed, while the institutions tasked with managing risk remain fragmented, reactive, and unevenly equipped.
This column steps back from specific cases and statutes to address a broader institutional question. If Canada’s AI governance landscape is increasingly fragmented and reactive, what kinds of structures are capable of supporting sustained, cross sector engagement on risk and accountability? In particular, what role can independent, non-profit institutions play at a moment when formal regulation is stalled but real-world deployment continues at speed?
It is against this backdrop that I have been working to establish the Canadian Centre for Responsible AI Governance. The Centre is conceived as a national, independent forum for convening stakeholders across government, industry, academia, and professional communities, with a focus on AI risk, governance, and institutional design.
The Governance Gap
Canada’s current approach to AI governance can best be described as partial and uneven. The collapse of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act left the country without a dedicated federal framework for managing the implementation of AI systems. In the absence of that framework, responsibility has fallen to a patchwork of existing institutions, including privacy commissioners, professional regulators, courts, and internal corporate governance processes. Each plays an important role, but none was designed to address AI risk as a systemic issue that cuts across sectors.
Read all of it here
Beyond Regulatory Silos: Announcing the Canadian Centre for Responsible AI Governance
