PIA doesn’t “have confidence” in provincial AI investments

With this funding, up to twelve projects can be rolled out annually, “harnessing Alberta’s AI expertise to improve patient outcomes and health system efficiency.”

Bradley Laforutne, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta (PIA), says his “organization is supportive of technologies and innovation that actually produce positive outcomes for Alberta.”

“Emissions reduction technologies within oil and gas, revolutionary. We think that’s a good thing.”

However, he believes the province should do more research on social, environmental, and health effects, before AI is used in more personal aspects of people’s lives; “When we talk about AI implementation for people’s health data, I mean, we’re at a time where we just found out that about three million Albertans have had their private data shared unlawfully. Private data is really sacrosanct. We need to make sure that we’re protecting it.”

Laforutune adds that we are already seeing real-world examples of these programs causing harm on small and large scales, such as the Tumbler Ridge tragedy, and a recent U.S college grad ceremony where many students didn’t have their names read as they crossed the stage, due to a faulty AI program.

“It’s very important in the public interest and for public trust to ensure that we are really confident as a government and within our institutions that are using these, in this case, four pillars of health care, that the implementation of artificial intelligence solutions is safe, secure and reliable; and I personally, and at PIA, we don’t have that confidence right.”

PIA and Lafortune are encouraging a moratorium on all AI projects until more research can be done.

They also encourage anyone with similar concerns with AI, or who just want some questions answered, to contact their municipal officials, local MLA, and MP.

More information about Public Interest Alberta can be found on their website.

by Tanner Smith

PIA doesn’t “have confidence” in provincial AI investments

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