Canada helps shape global dialogue on the responsible and safe use of artificial intelligence

Minister Champagne wraps up participation at U.K.’s global summit on artificial intelligence safety

BLETCHLEY PARK, UK, Nov. 3, 2023 /CNW/ – Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, concluded a two-day visit to Bletchley Park, United Kingdom, where the British government hosted the first-ever AI Safety Summit.

During the summit, leaders discussed how best to manage the risks from so-called frontier AI systems—highly capable general-purpose AI software programs or algorithms that match or exceed present-day capabilities.

The summit was an opportunity for Canada to build on its strong global leadership in responsible AI, which includes the launch of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) in June 2020 and ongoing work on the global dialogue on AI through the G7 Hiroshima AI Process and the Organisation for Economic Development and Co–operation’s Working Party on AI Governance. 

At Bletchley Park, Minister Champagne led a discussion among governmental leaders from around the globe on risks to safety from frontier AI misuse, highlighting Canada’s recent Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems.

Leaders from the 28 participating countries and the European Union signed The Bletchley Declaration agreeing to identify the risks and opportunities of AI, build a global understanding of frontier AI risks, and collaborate on AI scientific research, emphasizing the need to safety-test AI models against a range of critical national security and societal risks.

“Canada continues to play a leading role on the global governance and responsible use of AI. The summit at Bletchley Park was all about acknowledgment, action, adaptation and, most importantly, trust. It is critical and urgent that we all come together to build public trust around this transformational technology. Canada was the first country to adopt a national AI strategy, we recently launched a voluntary AI code of conduct for advanced AI systems, and we are moving ahead with one of the first AI laws in the world. We look forward to continuing our work with like-minded countries to move confidently from fear to opportunity.”
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Canada’s proposed Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022 (Bill C-27), which includes the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA), is among the first legislative measures in the world to propose a legal framework on AI.The Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced for Generative AI Systems, announced by Minister Champagne on September 27, 2023, will enable Canadian companies to demonstrate that they are developing and using generative AI systems responsibly and strengthen Canadians’ confidence in the technology.Canada’s approach to AI governance is broadly aligned with the G7’s recent Hiroshima Process International Guiding Principles for Organizations Developing Advanced AI Systems and the Hiroshima Process International Code of Conduct for Organizations Developing Advanced AI Systems as well as with the U.S. Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.On the summit’s sidelines, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a Government of Canada organization within the Minister of International Development’s portfolio, announced that Canada will contribute $11.2 million to a global consortium that will provide research grants and help build AI capacity throughout Africa.

The Bletchley DeclarationCombining forces for a new phase of AI for development: Africa and beyond

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