OTTAWA — Opposition parties are raising concerns about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new artificial intelligence strategy, arguing the government’s plan lacks sufficient detail on privacy, regulation and the impact on workers.The federal government unveiled its national AI strategy Thursday, committing at least $2 billion in investments aimed at expanding AI adoption, building Canadian computing infrastructure and creating up to 250,000 jobs through the technology by 2031.The strategy includes plans for a Canadian-built supercomputer, AI literacy programs, workforce training initiatives and new investments intended to help businesses adopt artificial intelligence.Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman said the government’s announcement contained ambitious promises but few specifics.“I want to also address the Liberals unveiling their AI strategy this morning in Toronto with what seemingly is very lofty goals but no plan to deliver on that,” Lantsman told reporters on Parliament Hill.“A very ambitious plan which lacks a lot of details that I think Canadians have been waiting for for a very long time.”.Lantsman said privacy and security concerns were not adequately addressed in the strategy.“Privacy, first and foremost, and the safety and the security that was promised in this is nowhere to be found in the document, certainly no details,” she said.She also questioned the government’s projections for job creation through AI adoption, pointing to recent weakness in the labour market.“We don’t believe the Liberals when they say that they’ll create 90,000 jobs when we have lost more than 112,000 jobs just since January in this country,” she said.Lantsman argued Canada should pursue AI development while ensuring adequate safeguards are in place.“We’ve got to put the guardrails in place so that Canadians feel protected, they feel safe, and their security and their privacy is protected,” she said.Federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis also criticized the strategy, accusing the government of emphasizing economic growth while overlooking risks to workers and consumers.“The Liberal government might as well have called its AI strategy ‘All in for AI’,” Lewis said in a statement.“This is a document that is heavy on hype, but light on the right guardrails that we need to protect people – and to ensure that the benefits of the technology don’t just flow to a handful of tech giants and investors.”Lewis warned that increased AI adoption could threaten employment opportunities, particularly for younger workers.“It proposes a massive boost to business adoption of AI, with no concern for the consequences this will have for workers, especially young workers who are already watching careers vanish before their eyes,” he said.The NDP leader called for stronger regulation before further expansion of AI technologies.“We need a robust regulatory framework,” Lewis said.“Every other industry in this country, from forestry to banking, is regulated. Yet somehow, when it comes to generative AI that is controlled by MAGA-aligned billionaires, the usual rules don’t apply.”Lantsman, asked by the Western Standard about the government’s proposal to train 3,000 educators in artificial intelligence, Lantsman said training initiatives could be beneficial but questioned how the program would be implemented.“I think training for AI is important, but the devil will be in the details about how that’s going to be done, who’s going to do it, and who pays for it,” she said.
