📋 Tender Overview
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have underscored both the promise and the risks associated with this transformative technology. Ensuring the safety and the responsible use of AI systems is a top priority for the Government of Canada, with experts highlighting evolving risks, including the potential for their misuse in disinformation campaigns, cybersecurity breaches and election interference. The government is taking concrete action to protect Canadians from the potentially harmful impacts of AI.
Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the launch of the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (CAISI) to bolster Canada’s capacity to address AI safety risks, further positioning the country as a leader in the safe and responsible development and adoption of AI technologies. It is one component of a broader $2.4 billion investment announced in Budget 2024 to help researchers and businesses develop and adopt AI responsibly.
CAISI will leverage Canada’s world-leading AI research ecosystem and talent base to advance the understanding of risks associated with advanced AI systems and to drive the development of measures to address those risks. Building on Canada’s commitment to international collaboration through the Bletchley Declaration, CAISI will also collaborate with safety institutes in other jurisdictions as part of the new International Network of AI Safety Institutes, which will convene for the first time later this month in San Francisco.
The Canadian AI Safety Institute is part of the government’s broader strategy to promote safe and responsible AI development in Canada, which includes the proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act and the Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems.
With this institute, the federal government is helping ensure AI safety and building trust in the technology. Fostering greater trust in AI through its responsible adoption is to secure Canada’s AI advantage today and for generations to come.
Quotes
“The Canadian Institute for Artificial Intelligence Security will propel Canada to the forefront of global efforts to use AI responsibly, and will be a key player in building public trust in these technologies. In a world that’s evolving quickly and full of unknowns, Canadians can be confident that we will always take the necessary steps to ensure the AI they use is safe, responsible, and trustworthy.”
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“As the world grapples with the potential and also the risks of artificial intelligence, CIFAR is pleased to participate in Canada’s response. The CAISI Research Program at CIFAR will draw on the strengths of Canada’s robust AI scientific community in order to advance world-leading research on AI safety, for the benefit of all.”
– Stephen Toope, President and CEO, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
“For more than 20 years, the National Research Council of Canada has been at the forefront of responsible applied AI. Under the new institute, we will lead research projects to mitigate risks and advance the safe and reliable development of AI systems that are crucial to government priorities and Canada’s innovation objectives.”
– Mitch Davies, President, National Research Council of Canada
“The rapid development of frontier AI models makes substantial investment in AI safety research essential. We must notably develop robust safety guarantees for these models, both to mitigate risks and help reap the social and economic benefits of AI. The creation of the Canadian AI Safety Institute is an important step in this direction and demonstrates Canada’s ongoing commitment to the responsible development of AI.”
– Yoshua Bengio, Full Professor at Université de Montréal, Founder and Scientific Director of Mila – Quebec AI Institute, and Canada CIFAR AI Chair
