AI, a live issue in NDP leadership race, takes centre stage at left-wing Progress Summit

OTTAWA — As progressives from across Canada and the world gather in Ottawa this week, one topic that will be near the top of the agenda is the rapid ascent of artificial intelligence (AI) in society.

Jen Hassum, executive director of left-leaning think tank the Broadbent Institute, says she expects to hear many perspectives on AI as the institute’s annual Progress Summit gets underway this week.

“I would say what could be an emerging tension among progressives is, of course, those who are skeptical of (AI) and those who want more AI data centres built in Canada as a question of sovereignty,” Hassum told National Post ahead of the start of the three-day conference on Wednesday.

She added that many, if not most, progressives are concerned about the environmental impact of AI data centres, which use up large quantities of electricity and potable water.

More than 650 attendees will descend on the nation’s capital for what’s billed as the “largest annual progressive politics conference in Canada.”

Hassum said the summit aims to ignite spirited discussions on topics where there are differences of opinion among progressives, noting that this year’s program leans heavily into both AI and the broader challenge of advancing social democracy in a digital age.

“The role the institute plays is to instigate different views within the (progressive) tent,” said Hassum. “The summit is never a presentation of ‘here’s what we all conform to’ but rather ‘here’s where we have multitudes.'”

The summit kicked off on Wednesday afternoon with a group exercise focused on spotting “disinformation and AI slop.”

One of the week’s most hotly-anticipated events, taking place on Friday, is a panel on “Building Real Canadian Digital Sovereignty and Democratic AI” hosted by tech critic and self-described “committed luddite” Paris Marx.

Marx, who didn’t respond to a request to be interviewed for this article, has written that generative AI tools like Chat GPT go hand-in-hand with “ascendant fascist forces” in society. He’s also called on the government to seize cloud computing from private tech giants.

Mia Travers-Hayward, a researcher with the Canadian Teachers’ Federation who’ll be a speaker on the panel, said there’s cause for concern about possible K-12 learning gaps created by over-reliance on AI shortcuts.

“We know that students are using these generative AI tools to support their learning outside of school,” said Travers-Hayward. “The erosion of critical thinking skills and creativity among young students is a major concern.

Travers-Hayward says better safeguards need to be put in place surrounding the use of these AI tools among students.

“What we’re really pushing for is comprehensive regulation, at different levels of the system, to really ensure that by the time these tools do get into the classroom, teachers can trust that they are safe,” said Travers-Hayward.

AI is a live issue in the ongoing NDP leadership race, with frontrunner Avi Lewis calling for a “pause” on the construction of new data centres in Canada.

Two other candidates, Edmonton MP Heather McPherson and labour union leader Rob Ashton, have proposed banning the use of AI tools by landlords to manipulate rent prices. Ashton apologized in January when his campaign was caught using AI to respond to questions on a Reddit “ask me anything” thread.

National Post rmohamed@postmedia.com

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