The federal government is set to launch an artificial intelligence and culture advisory council that will work with the government and the creative sector to safeguard Canada’s cultural industries while identifying growth and innovation opportunities.
The council is a joint initiative by Marc Miller, minister of Canadian identity and culture and minister responsible for official languages, and Evan Solomon, minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation and minister responsible for the federal economic development agency for Southern Ontario. The announcement of the council’s establishment came at the close of the inaugural National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture, which was jointly hosted by the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and the federal government from March 15 to 17.
Three hundred cultural, technology, academic, civil society, and government leaders convened at the summit to discuss culture’s future in the AI age. Sixth-generation Métis founder and pipikwan pêhtâkwan CEO Shani Gwin delivered the keynote address; leadership talks were conducted with Pina D’Agostino (York University), Marie-Julie Desrochers (Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions), Andrea Kokonis (chief legal officer and general counsel at Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada), and Pascale Landry (Compétence Culture).
Miller participated in a fireside chat with Solomon. The summit also featured an AI showcase with interactive kiosks demonstrating practical applications of AI in the cultural sector as well as an AI adoption advisory service.
The government said it was committed to bolstering cooperation in Canada and globally through forums like UNESCO. Last month, Miller said the government was committing $300,000 to help implement the recommendations of a UNESCO Convention expert group to promote best practices and awareness-raising activities in AI and culture.
“Artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming how we create, share and experience it, bringing tremendous opportunities but also pressures on our cultural sector. This summit is exactly the right place to confront these questions and ensure that Canada leads the global conversation on responsible AI development, and that innovation and cultural sovereignty advance together,” Miller said in a statement.