Canadians want quick action on potential AI harms, says advocacy group head

The messaging coming from the inaugural Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon, is misaligned with public expectations for Canada’s artificial intelligence portfolio, according to a digital rights advocacy group. Preliminary data from a soon-to-be-published OpenMedia survey suggests Canadians want immediate government action addressing the risks of AI deployment: privacy, copyright, misinformation, and the environmental impact of data centres. According to OpenMedia executive director Matt Hatfield, these issues have not featured prominently in the minister’s early public messaging around his new portfolio. “I think we’re going to be on a collision course because Solomon's going around just talking this very ‘progress-esque’, very pro-innovation, agenda around AI. He’s really not talking about anything dealing with potential harm,” Hatfield said. With Parliament reconvening this week, Solomon's first months in the newly established role are expected to set the tone for how Canada balances AI innovation with safeguarding public interest. Hatfield said many Canadians have lost trust in AI after hearing a steady stream of troubling stories, such as claims of chatbots encouraging young people to self-harm. He added that Canadian creators and journalists are worried about their work being scraped by AI models without consent, while also being displaced in the marketplace. “A year or two ago, we had some real curiosity and enthusiasm for AI in our community — and there’s still some of that. But the more people have become aware of potential harms, the more they believe the government has to step in and do something about this,” Hatfield said. Solomon’s office did not respond to a request for comment regarding more detailed plans for his portfolio. In his first public address as minister, he highlighted his four main strategies for advancing Canada’s AI agenda. These included scaling up domestic AI companies, promoting AI adoption across all sectors, building public trust by protecting privacy, and ensuring Canada maintains its sovereignty over its data and AI infrastructure. Canadians apprehensive about AI, survey finds OpenMedia’s findings are in line with an IPSOS survey published in June which found that Canada ranks as one of the most apprehensive and least enthusiastic nations regarding AI. Only 20 per cent of Canadians surveyed found that AI would better the economy within the next three to five years — ranking last out of the 30 countries surveyed. Canada consistently ranked in the bottom four when respondents were asked if they trusted companies to protect their personal data or eliminate biases. Only 40 per cent of Canadians trust the government to regulate AI responsibly. Hatfield believes that the private sector will be slow to adopt AI if the government doesn’t first deal with Canadians’ issues of trust. “Widespread AI adoption will not happen without widespread trust,” he said. “If Canadians don't feel safe, or don't believe AI models are designed in line with their values, they won't use AI services or buy from companies that rely on them. That means Solomon's current path... is simply not sustainable.” ‘It’s really important that there isn’t a patchwork of conflicting rules’ While Canadians might be focused on addressing the harms of AI, some industry voices believe the key to successful AI adoption lies in aligning government policies with international standards. “It’s really important that there isn’t a patchwork of conflicting rules,” said Alice Friend, global head of AI at Alphabet Inc.’s Google. Inconsistent regulations, she said, make it harder for companies to operate and can create safety gaps, as AI products and services may be held to different standards depending on where they are deployed. Friend said an effective AI policy must also prioritize focus and balance. Governments should shape regulation to reflect specific contexts and use cases because the risks of AI vary across sectors. At the same time, regulatory requirements should be proportionate to the potential benefits, balancing the need to mitigate harm with the opportunity to encourage responsible AI adoption. “But that's a more complicated thing than just ‘high risk, constrain more’ because sometimes high risk use cases are also really high value. So taking that risk-based approach and keeping in mind that there are many different actors contributing to the AI value chain means really balancing trade-offs between risks and benefits and balancing responsibilities along that value chain,” she said. Friend said Canada’s AI minister can see immediate results by focusing on two areas. First, the government can establish national standards for AI performance and safety, giving both regulators and industry a clear understanding of responsible deployment. Second, the minister can act as a hub of AI expertise, supporting existing sectoral regulators — like those in banking, transportation, or health care — by providing guidance on AI-specific issues. This “hub-and-spoke” approach, she said, allows the government to leverage its expertise without creating overlapping or conflicting regulatory structures. Since his appointment as AI minister, Solomon has announced several federal funding initiatives to support Canada’s AI ecosystem. In June, nearly $19.7 million was allocated through the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy to support the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute. In August, Canada signed a memorandum of understanding with large–language model developer Cohere Inc. “to explore opportunities” to improve public service operations and to strengthen Canada’s ability to use and export AI commercially. Hatfield and Friend both agree that public consultation is key to healthy AI policy. Bill C-27, Canada’s previous attempt to regulate AI, drew criticism for its lack of consultation. Friend said the government should release its early thinking about what the demand signal is for AI from the economy and society. “An early such statement that then goes through an open public consultation period is a really healthy way to surface the major issues that the government thinks it needs to tackle,” she said. news@thewirereport.ca

Canadians want quick action on potential AI harms, says advocacy group head

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By Jenna Cocullo
| September 17, 2025

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Canadians want quick action on potential AI harms, says advocacy group head

Regulatory | By Jenna Cocullo | September 17, 2025

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