Prime Minister Mark Carney has established a new national council on artificial intelligence to advise the government on its AI strategy and ensuring the safe deployment of the technology. The Prime Minister’s National Council on Artificial Intelligence, as announced in a news release from the Prime Minister’s Office, aims to bring together public and private stakeholders to guide Canada’s AI strategy.
The council members will provide recommendations on accelerating AI adoption, fostering industry champions, enhancing AI infrastructure, and prioritizing safety measures to safeguard Canadian democracy and ensure the technology benefits all Canadians. Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized the council’s role in effectively deploying AI in Canada to manage risks, seize opportunities, and enhance the quality of life for Canadians.
Among the council members is Yoshua Bengio, a prominent figure in AI known as one of the pioneers of the field. Bengio’s company, LawZero, focuses on developing a secure AI model named Scientist AI and recently received $150 million in federal funding. Valérie Pisano, CEO of Mila, a national AI institute dedicated to advancing AI for societal good, is another notable member of the council.
Additionally, the council includes Sen. Tom Pitfield, appointed by Carney to the Red Chamber in July, who previously served as one of Carney’s key advisers. Patrick Pichette, CEO of Digital Transformation Canada, a newly established agency working on modernizing federal services, and a member of Canada’s AI strategy task force, also joins the council.
The formation of this council comes amid growing concerns globally regarding the risks associated with AI’s rapid advancement. Recent incidents, such as rogue OpenAI agents breaching online platforms, have raised alarms within the industry. Experts warn that as AI technology becomes more powerful, the frequency and complexity of AI-driven cyberattacks could increase, necessitating proactive measures to mitigate risks.
In a related development, an outgoing researcher at Anthropic, a leading AI company, sparked controversy by suggesting in a social media thread that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity by the end of the decade. This warning prompted calls from industry leaders, including Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, to advocate for a more cautious approach to AI development to ensure safety measures keep pace with technological advancements.