The Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (Bill C-27) is in the first reading stage in Parliament. The legislation purports to regulate AI as part of sweeping reforms related to technology in Canada. Will this regulation change the application of AI to cybersecurity? Are there loopholes? Is it too early for regulation? Will regulation go too far or not far enough?

How we attempt to regulate AI tells us much about how we view emerging technologies from both philosophical and practical perspectives. I’ll review the legal landscape of AI in Canada and discuss our attempts to regulate emerging technologies in the broader social and political context of who we are and where we’re going.