AI @ A Crossroads: Why Canadians Are Demanding Action Now

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes industries, jobs, and daily life, Canadians are sounding the alarm on its risks. Enter the Coalition for Responsible AI—a new citizen-led initiative urging government action to protect the public interest. At the forefront is Wyatt Tessari L’Allié, the Coalition’s spokesperson, who is calling for urgent, responsible AI governance before it’s too late. In this Q&A, we discuss why AI’s trajectory demands immediate attention, what’s at stake for Canadians, and how the Coalition is mobilizing for change. —Noa Nichol

What inspired the formation of the Coalition for Responsible AI, and what are its key objectives?

The spark behind the Coalition was realising that with human intelligence staying the same, and artificial intelligence getting better by the day, it is only a matter of time before AI outperforms us in all domains. That could bring many benefits, but it means that we face unprecedented disruption to our jobs, our kid’s educations, and our daily lives, along with major risks to our safety. 

A lot of people have already been impacted, and that number is about to grow dramatically. The Coalition is our way of planting a flag and saying: you’re not alone, we all face these challenges, and it’s essential our elected leaders have a plan to manage the disruption and minimise the risks.

AI development is moving at an unprecedented pace. What do you see as the most urgent risks Canadians are facing right now?

AI is already having significant impacts on jobs such as for software developers, graphic designers, and translators, and reputational risks such as deepfake pornography. We’re also seeing a surge in AI-powered scams, and some edge risks from chatbots like when one talked a teenager into suicide. 

But as with everything about AI, the bigger story is what’s coming. Within 1-3 years we could see systems that can outperform us at just about everything and impact almost every aspect of our lives. The most urgent risks to Canadians are financial due to job loss or economic turbulence, and safety due to the potential for weaponization of accidents causing loss of life.

Your coalition aims to push policy makers into action. What specific policies or regulations do you believe should be prioritized to ensure AI safety?

There are five broad categories of action policymakers can take:

1. Ensure government has the resources to monitor and respond to AI developments. This should include creating a dedicated Ministry of AI with a seat at Cabinet.
2. Pass a Bill banning dangerous forms of AI and incentivising the safe deployment and use of the rest, while ensuring that every Canadian has the support they need to navigate the disruption to their job and community.
3. Champion global talks. AI is a global issue and not even the US or China can control the situation on their own. Canada can play an important convening role.
4. Invest in advancing AI governance and safety research. Right now, we don’t have the tools or good policies for keeping AI safe. 
5. Finally, we need a national conversation on AI. With everyone’s life about to be disrupted, we should all be consulted and have a say as to what kind of future we want with AI.

Many Canadians are concerned about job displacement due to AI. How does the coalition propose to address workforce disruptions and support affected industries?

The first step is to help people realise we’re rapidly heading into a different world, and the whole concept of a 9 to 5 job where you get paid to do economically valuable work is in question.

We don’t know what exactly is going to happen to jobs, but most of us will probably end up doing something else with our lives. That could be a good thing, but it does mean a lot of disruption.

Government will need to manage this huge transition, and ensure that if paychecks start disappearing, every Canadian still has a way to cover their needs.

Surveys show that a majority of Canadians worry AI could pose a long-term threat to humanity. Do you think the risks of AI are being underestimated by policymakers?

Absolutely. We’ve never faced anything like this before, and most policymakers have yet to grasp the extent of the risks involved. It’s not just the risk of weaponization of powerful AI by terrorists or its use in war. If we build systems that are smarter than us, and through misuse or accident one of them starts taking action against us, we’re not going to be able to stop it. 

That’s why Canada’s Nobel prize winner Geoffrey Hinton along with hundreds of leading scientists signed a statement that AI poses a possible extinction risk. We don’t know if it will happen, but we need to have safety solutions in place before we reach that level of AI.

You testified before the House of Commons Industry Committee on AI governance. What were the key takeaways from that experience, and why do you believe Bill C-27 stalled?

It was a good opportunity to get the issue on record, and MPs from all the parties did ask thoughtful questions after my testimony. However, they also saw that up until then voters hadn’t made much noise about AI, and as a result they didn’t prioritise the Bill and it never made it through parliament. This is why we founded the Coalition – to be that strong voice for Canadians and ensure the issue gets the urgent attention it needs.

The Canadian government has invested heavily in AI development, but you argue that AI safety and worker protections are underfunded. What changes would you like to see in future AI policy funding?

In Budget 2024, the government announced $2.4B in investments. $2.3B of that was invested in AI infrastructure and adoption, while the last 5% went to preparing Canadians for the tsunami of job impacts and reducing the potentially catastrophic safety risks. It really speaks to the fact that AI is still seen as a shiny new tool to grow the economy with. It is, but they’re missing the part that it’s also a social and political earthquake in the making.

With companies investing hundreds of billions of dollars to advance AI, we think the government should instead focus its funds on protecting Canadians from the risks and ensuring we can weather the disruption. They’re the only ones who can fill these critical gaps.

Some tech leaders advocate for a “pause” on advanced AI research, while others push for continued rapid development. Where do you think Canada should position itself in this global debate?

Ideally we’d all have a few more years to prepare for our new future with AI. Unfortunately, a pause on development would have to be globally enforced, and we haven’t yet seen an actionable proposal to do that. 

However, there are a lot of low-hanging fruit that are beneficial in either scenario. Canada can and should be preparing itself for the disruption, pushing for global talks, investing in safety and governance solutions, and piloting a national conversation with Canadians.

Beyond government action, what role can everyday Canadians play in ensuring AI develops responsibly?

The biggest role everyone can play is to remember: you’re a citizen in a democracy, and you help shape what politicians prioritise. The federal and Ontario elections this year are likely the last ones before smarter than human AI. That means right now is your best chance to tell leaders you demand they have a plan for AI risk and disruption and act boldly before it’s too late.

Looking ahead, what are the coalition’s next steps, and how do you plan to engage both the public and policymakers in this movement?

Our focus is to be the rallying point for anyone impacted or concerned about AI, and to provide resources and opportunities to get involved, so that together we can affect meaningful change. We will be partnering with organisations of all stripes who also see the AI wave coming and want to make sure Canada is ready, and that every Canadian has the support and protection they need.