New Canadian Institute to advance AI security research

The federal government announced that the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) will be supporting the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (CAISI) on Tuesday.

This new institute is a positive step to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) technology is being developed and deployed safely.

According to a press release, recent studies have shown that a lack of confidence in AI safety is holding back many Canadian businesses from using AI technology, which risks impacting their productivity.

“By addressing societal, technical and ethical challenges around AI, CAISI will play a crucial role in building trust in AI technologies and promoting their responsible adoption among Canadian business and institutions,” reads a press release.

The Canadian government first identified CIFAR as a partner for the Pan- Canadian AI Strategy in 2017.

“The Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute 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,” said Innovation and Science Minister François-Philippe Champagne. “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.”

Work at the centre will include projects directed by the government focusing on priorities like cybersecurity.  CIFAR will have an investigator-led research team, in collaboration with CAISI and the National AI Institutes (Mila in Montreal, the Vector Institute in Toronto and Amii in Edmonton), to engage with experts and address the short and long-term AI risks.

Ottawa is allocating $50 million over five years to the centre, part of $2.4 billion in AI-related funding announced in this year’s federal budget.

“By partnering with research institutions across the country, it will further the research Canada’s experts have already started in areas of AI safety, such as detecting AI-generated content, contributing to the evaluation of advanced AI models, ensuring the safe adoption of AI in high-risk applications and ensuring privacy in AI systems,” noted the press release.

CAISI’s launch marks a significant milestone as Canada joins the few countries with their own AI Safety Institutes alongside the United Kingdom and the United States.

“As the world grapples with the tremendous potential and the risks of AI, CIFAR is pleased to play a leading role in Canada’s response,” said CIFAR President and CEO Stephen Toope. “The applied and investigator-led research stream at CIFAR will draw upon the strengths of Canada’s robust AI scientific community in order to advance world-leading research on AI safety, for the benefit of all.”