Help shape a renewed AI strategy for Canada - a survey due Oct 31 2025

[Alies Maybee]

The Canadian government is reaching out for feedback on an AI strategy. Let's think about this and offer feedback in the area of health.

Here is what Jo Voisin, Health Canada is posting:

"I’m reaching out to highlight the opportunity for you to help shape a renewed AI strategy for Canada. Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is inviting founders, researchers, workers, creators, students, public servants, and community voices to weigh in until October 31, 2025.

Since 2017, Canada's Pan-Canadian AI Strategy has invested in research, talent, standards, and commercialization. In 2024, the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy strengthened access to secure, made-in-Canada compute. This engagement builds on that progress to identify the next set of priorities for Canada to:
• accelerate safe adoption of AI across the economy and public services
• scale Canadian AI champions and attract investment
• strengthen sovereign infrastructure (compute, data, cloud)
• build public trust, skills, and safety.

We encourage you to share this opportunity within your networks and to contribute your health system and AI expertise by participating in the survey. If you wish to copy Health Canada on your response at hcdigitaldata-numeriquedonneessc@hc-sc.gc.ca, we would be pleased to help ensure your perspectives are reflected and reinforced in our discussions with ISED.

Details on the consultation are available here.

[Alies Maybee]

@Alies-Maybee Just to add another resource: One of the world's biggest AI companies wants a deal with Canada. Is sovereignty the trade-off?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/open-ai-canada-data-centres-digital-sovereignty-9.6935195

[Debra Turnbull]

@Alies-Maybee Yeeeaaaaahh... all the red flags in my brain are going off.

Data Sovereignty is definitely the trade-off. With:

• the CLOUD Act,

• the Patriot Act,

• changes in the MyChart (Epic's HIS patient portal) User Agreement, that was snuck in in May, and

• LinkedIn's Opt-Out for use of data in AI training;

all of which are American laws and software products.

We have to remember that computers, computer networks, and the internet, were created/popularized out of the U.S. The use of these things, is structured around their social norms - which is their belief in the rule-of-law.

Canada just adopted all of these things, and merely agreed to abide by Terms of Use and User Agreements... in order to get on with the work of the day. Now, with the shenanigans south-of-the-border, these agreements have the potential to come back and bite us.

Historically, electronic data was never a consideration when these systems were created. Now, it is a valuable commodity. Data for AI training is big business; with huge profit margins. If you have ever clicked on the 'Agree' button on one of those User Agreements, you are now entrapped to abide by their rules... at Canada's expense.

We need to do our due diligence and revisit all of those agreements... AND keep an eye on any sudden incoming changes to said agreements.

///////
HIS - Hospital information system.

[Debra Turnbull]

I completed the survey. It's a long one.

It's loaded with Comment boxes; asking for your thoughts.

Even if you know nothing about AI - consider doing the survey. It asks questions on commerce & business perspectives. Nothing specific to Health Care.

Add your 2 cents worth - this will have implications on Health Data.