artificial intelligence (AI)

Canada’s AI strategy targets growth but raises concerns on accountability and equity

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:48:44 +0000

Canada’s “AI for All” strategy, unveiled June 4, pairs over $2 billion in spending with ambitious targets for economic growth and job creation by 2031. Built on pillars like infrastructure, skills and responsible AI, it aims to boost adoption and close Canada’s gap with G7 peers.

But as faculty lecturer Simon Blanchette writes in The Conversation, the plan emphasizes growth more than accountability. Key gaps remain around job displacement, worker protections and oversight of workplace AI, with entry-level roles and equity-seeking groups particularly vulnerable.

The Anthropic shock: Why Canada must rethink AI control

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:42:29 +0000

Who controls access to the artificial intelligence systems shaping our economies and institutions?

As Simon Blanchette, a faculty lecturer at ��Թ� Desautels, underscores, the U.S.-ordered suspension of Anthropic’s advanced models—cutting off global users overnight—shows how quickly a routine commercial relationship can turn into a strategic vulnerability.

Organizations in Canada and elsewhere lost critical tools without warning or recourse, revealing the risks of relying on foreign-owned AI governed by external laws and priorities.

Human leadership remains essential as AI agents reshape work

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:41:21 +0000

As companies experiment with agentic AI, some are using technology not just to support employees, but to stand in for managers. While AI agents may streamline workflows, organizations risk weakening the human connections that build loyalty and trust, according to Simon Blanchette, a faculty lecturer at ��Թ� Desautels Faculty of Management.

Why HR needs to reframe AI as a tool, not a threat

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:37:22 +0000

As AI adoption accelerates across Canadian workplaces, employee anxiety is becoming a growing concern, with many workers worried automation could reshape or replace their roles. According to Jean-Nicolas Reyt, associate professor of organizational behaviour at ��Թ�’s Desautels Faculty of Management, HR leaders need to acknowledge those fears rather than dismiss them.

Why AI time savings aren’t translating into productivity gains

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:35:54 +0000

As the Bank of Canada highlights AI’s promise to boost productivity, Simon Blanchette, a faculty lecturer at ��Թ�’s Desautels Faculty of Management, says Canada risks overestimating the impact of time savings alone.

Even as workplace efficiencies improve, he argues the real challenge lies in turning those gains into higher-value outcomes. “Today is the day that AI will be the least powerful in our lifetime,” he says, warning that organizations need to move faster.