From regulations to open-source: What AI Alliance members want Canada to prioritize

When more than 50 tech companies, universities and startups from around the world united to form the AI Alliance last December, much of the globe was still making sense of the rapid advances in artificial intelligence.

When more than 50 tech companies, universities and startups from around the world united to form the AI Alliance last December, much of the globe was still making sense of the rapid advances in artificial intelligence.

With regulators eyeing the technology and questions swirling about whether its use would amplify biases and discrimination, take people's jobs or even spell the end of humanity, the industry group was meant to parse through the worries and find practical ways to move forward with AI.

About seven months later, the organization, led by IBM and Meta Platforms Inc., numbers roughly 100 members and has formed working groups to address everything from AI skills to safety.

The Canadian Press asked members what measures Canada should prioritize as AI evolves.

Abhishek Gupta, founder of the Montreal AI Ethics Institute, considers Canada "the original home of AI."

Some of the technology's pioneers, including Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton, have done much of their work within the country. Long before AI was buzzy, Canada was a hotbed for research in the sector.

But Gupta is worried about the country's ability to turn AI into profits.