How Canadian companies are using AI as ChatGPT marks first anniversary

Canadian companies have been keen not to ignore a technology that could disrupt their business or deliver efficiency and cost savings.

When OpenAI released ChatGPT one year ago, it instantly dazzled the world’s tech community and beyond.

The artificial intelligence-based chatbot could turn simple prompts from users into reams of text, including essays and speeches, within moments. Its capabilities already stretched past what experts in the field thought was possible in the near future.

Many, including some of AI’s pioneers, were so taken by how fast the technology had evolved that they started warning it could lead to an existential crisis, if it continued to advance this quickly and without much regulation.

However, Canadian companies have been keen not to ignore a technology that could disrupt their business or deliver efficiency and cost savings.

Even before ChatGPT, several had worked with large language models (LLMs) – the algorithmic foundation of AI, which takes natural language inputs and predicts the next word based on what it’s already processed. Others saw ChatGPT as a catalyst that convinced them to start dabbling.

This is a look at what some Canadian companies have used AI and LLMs for:

The Waterloo, Ont.-based company that transitioned from a smartphone powerhouse to a cybersecurity firm is now known for its Cylance AI products, which help users detect malware and prevent cyberattacks.

In October, the company also announced a generative AI-based cybersecurity assistant, which predicts customer needs to proactively provide information rather than requiring users to manually ask questions.