NL Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey joined his provincial and federal counterparts in Ottawa this week to launch a set of principles to ensure the responsible and trustworthy development and use of generative AI technologies in Canada.
More and more companies, agencies and governments are adopting generative AI for the delivery of services and Harvey says the federal government is currently working on legislation governing its responsible use.
Harvey says key among the principles brought forward by privacy commissioners is ensuring that personal, sensitive and confidential information be protected.
He says the principles are the same as those that underlie existing laws, particularly when gathering data to train its model.
“No public body or company can just collect information just because it wants to, it needs to have legal authority for doing that, so the same here applies.”
Harvey also indicates that it’s not good enough to employ generative AI, just because it’s “shiny and new.” He says it should only be employed if it is valid and meaningful.
“They also need to demonstrate that this is not some new gimmick that they’re trying out” that the new initiative is not better done by a less privacy-encroaching method.
The privacy commissioners are also urging developers to take into consideration the unique impact that AI tools can have on vulnerable groups, including children.
