The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research announced Wednesday that it’s launching an online course to promote public engagement on AI policy and regulation. It will help Canadians understand AI terminology, applications and ethical risks. (The Logic)

Talking point: The new course comes as a CIFAR study found that Canadians are experiencing “shiny object syndrome” where they are more interested in playing with new AI tools than understanding its ethical considerations. Researchers used an AI-powered market intelligence tool to analyze more than 5.9 million posts mentioning AI over a two-year period and AI-related online searches in Canada over the past five years, finding that positive social media perceptions of AI outweighed negative impressions almost two to one. Quebecers produced nearly twice the number of AI conversations online compared to the rest of the country. “As AI takes on larger roles in our daily lives and work, it is essential that all Canadians develop at least a basic literacy on this topic,” Elissa Strome, executive director of CIFAR’s pan-Canadian AI strategy, said in a release.