In a letter to the industry committee this week, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne said he will propose amendments to the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act to clarify that its requirements for “high-impact systems” would apply to tools in health care and police forces; or those used to make justice or employment decisions. The rules would also cover content moderation and search algorithms, as well as other applications. (The Logic)
Talking point: As drafted, Bill C-27 leaves the definition of “high impact” and their specific requirements to regulations that the government plans to develop in the two years after it passes. Businesses and digital rights advocates have said that’s too vague, expressing concern about innovation-stifling uncertainty and loopholes, respectively. Appearing before the industry committee last week, Champagne said his department is developing the amendments to address critiques. But he didn’t actually table the changes, to the considerable chagrin of opposition MPs. Champagne’s letter this week outlined the government’s proposed changes, although he said it’s still working on exact amendment wording. Other proposed revisions include enshrining privacy as a fundamental right in the law.