By: Justine Brooks
12 Nov, 2024
Government of Canada announces Canadian AI Safety Institute
November 12, 2024
Also announced is the creation of the CAISI Research Program at CIFAR
Today in Montréal, the Government of Canada announced the creation of the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI), which will include a focused research program at CIFAR. The announcement comes following the previously announced $50M investment in AI safety made in April, a central tenet of the Bletchley Declaration to which Canada has committed its efforts.
The Canadian AI Safety Institute will be led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. It will work collaboratively with AI safety institutes around the world to form a global understanding of AI risks. The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) will implement a government-directed research program, with international collaboration, to focus on government priorities like cybersecurity and national security.
A key component of the new institute is the CAISI Research Program at CIFAR, which will build a focused research community on AI safety across Canada. Funded by a $27M contribution to CIFAR from the Government of Canada, the CAISI Research Program will be steered by CIFAR with close collaborations with research institutions across the country, in particular Canada’s three National AI Institutes: Mila in Montréal, Amii in Edmonton and the Vector Institute in Toronto.
The program will further the research Canada’s experts have already started in areas of AI safety, such as detecting AI-generated disinformation, ensuring the safe adoption of AI in high-risk applications such as health care and ensuring privacy in AI systems. The work will take a multidisciplinary approach, engaging experts from diverse fields to mitigate and address both the short and long-term risk of AI systems.
The initial roadmap for setting priority areas of inquiry of the program will be the International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI, a global initiative being led by Turing award winner Yoshua Bengio, who is the Founder and Scientific Director of Mila, a Canada CIFAR AI Chair and Co-Director of the CIFAR Learning in Machines & Brains program.
The CAISI Research Program will be guided by the CAISI Research Council, a group of experts with diverse expertise, including researchers and representatives from CIFAR, the NRC, and Canada’s three National AI Institutes. Three open positions for Members at Large are now posted.
Learn more about the CAISI Research Program at CIFAR.
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
“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“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 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.”
– Stephen Toope, President and CEO, CIFAR
“Canada has, over the course of decades, built a strong network of Canadian AI researchers, thanks in part to the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy. Our world-leading scientists are highly engaged in the scientific questions that inform the development of safe and responsible AI. This initiative will ensure that Canada will continue to be a leader in the ongoing global scientific response and deployment of this new and powerful technology.”
–Elissa Strome, Executive Director, Pan-Canadian AI Strategy at CIFAR
“As home to some of the world’s leading AI trust and safety researchers, the Vector Institute looks forward to advancing this expertise with Canada’s new Safety Institute. Our commitment to sharing this guidance globally will help shape a world where what AI enables can be trusted, safe, and aligned with human values.”
– Tony Gaffney, President and CEO, The Vector Institute
“The announcement of the launch of the Canadian Institute for AI Safety is an important step toward ensuring greater understanding and trust around AI systems. Many researchers at Mila are already working on these issues, and we are very pleased to contribute to the Institute’s efforts. Mila has been collaborating with major international organizations on AI safety for several years. The leadership that Canada is showing by launching this Institute is excellent news for the future.”
– Valérie Pisano, CEO, Mila
“The CAISI Research Program leverages Canada’s leadership in AI research. Through national and multidisciplinary collaboration on safety-first AI, the program positions Canada as the top destination for secure AI adoption, attracting worldwide investment and reinforcing Canada’s leadership in a future where benefits are realized with confidence and trust.”
– Cam Linke, CEO, Amii
Banner image: Jean Lemieux