How AI Policy and Innovation Go Hand-in-hand

As the influence of AI expands across all sectors and people raise concerns about how jobs and privacy will be impacted, governance is needed more than ever. Canadian investments in governance must accelerate so people have confidence that AI systems are being implemented in a fair, accountable, transparent and ethical manner.  

So why hasn’t this been addressed yet? Simply put, AI is challenging. Take data, for example, AI systems benefit greatly from having access to data, yet how this data is collected and used may conflict with existing privacy regulations. How can we balance individual privacy rights while simultaneously making data available for important technological advancements? A good first step is revisiting proposals for a limited exception to the rules for consent for “legitimate business interests” made during the recent legislative review of the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). This approach could focus on key verticals, such as healthcare, where access to data could significantly benefit individuals and society – an approach France is considering.

At the same time, Canada is lacking clear regulation that addresses the potential discrimination caused by AI systems, which is a growing concern as AI is implemented more frequently and the data sets upon which they are built may be inherently biased.   At Microsoft, we are working to address this concern with innovations like tools that identify bias in a range of different AI algorithms. Through the use of these tools, bias detection in machine-learning models can be automated, especially as more software reaches the market that will inevitably contain bias.  In addition, we must also educate people about the potential for bias to creep into machine learning models. As Senior Microsoft Researcher Rich Caruna said: “The most important thing companies can do right now is educate [the] workforce so that they’re aware of the myriad ways in which bias can arise and manifest itself and create tools to make models easier to understand and bias easier to detect.”

In light of Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron’s announcement of their commitment to better understanding and exploring AI, it’s time for Canadians to engage in the conversation about how to protect data privacy and benefit from the AI technologies that require data to significantly improve our lives.  Canadians have an opportunity to engage in this discussion through the National Data and Digital Consultations that Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada launched in June. With appropriate governance, experts in all industries could be brought in to research the full potential of AI while not losing sight of policy needs. Canada is poised to benefit immensely through its ongoing investment in AI and I look forward to seeing the ways in which this research will drive new AI policies and innovations. 

To access and download the latest edition of A Cloud for Global Good, click here.