Carney launches 13-member national council to advise on artificial intelligence - National Post

Montreal-based computer scientist Yoshua Bengio, considered one of the godfathers of AI, is a member of the National Council on Artificial Intelligence. Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty ImagesArticle contentPrime Minister Mark Carney on Friday launched a new council to advise on artificial intelligence, in an effort to shape responsible policy on a technology some fear poses an existential threat to humanity.

Carney’s office said the National Council on Artificial Intelligence will “provide independent, practical advice on Canada’s AI transformation.”

The council’s members will include Yoshua Bengio, the Montreal-based computer scientist considered one of the founders of AI.

In an interview with AFP last month, Bengio warned that “we’re losing control” of AI and said the global community needed to impose guardrails on the technology, similar to nuclear non-proliferation.

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Carney said the council’s mandate will be to help his government “manage the risks, seize the opportunities, and ensure AI is used to improve the lives of all Canadians.”

The 13-member council includes academics, people who have held leadership roles in private-sector technology firms, and a former national security adviser under Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau.

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