Thirteenth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

The domain of ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI), along with its various subfields including “General AI” and “Narrow AI”, elicit a variety of reactions. More pressing than the numerous thought experiments that surround the subject are its impacts on the global economy and trade. Narrow AI stands to impact employment, outsourcing, and the nature of both cybercrime and cybersecurity. AI has also raised policy concerns – such as the purchase and sale of datasets with personally identifying information (PII), or the crash-avoidance systems on self-driving cars – that confirm a trend towards increasing globalization while highlighting sharp differences between cultures. AI’s strong potential for both positive and negative impact demands measured, evidence-based policy. The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), a national centre of expertise studying the Canadian and Global digital economy, has worked at the nexus of the tech Industry and government for 25 years and is a leader and is a leading source of knowledge on advancements in Artificial Intelligence and how it is impacting the Canadian and Global Economy. Drawing from interviews with key industry stakeholders and access to datasets from provincial and federal governments, ICTC has tracked the emergence of a diversified AI sector in Canada as well as the ripple effects of this fast-evolving technology on sectors ranging from healthcare to agriculture. This focused discussion will create an interdisciplinary bridge between ICTC’s industry expertise and conference participants, bringing a global economic perspective to bear on the topic of AI.