Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for being with us today. Their testimony and briefs are very important and really very interesting.
Ms. Hayes, everything related to artificial intelligence is very interesting, particularly the integration of artificial intelligence in small and medium-sized businesses, or SMEs. I'm just about finished reading a book called Nexus, which is about that. I find it intriguing at times, and sometimes even frightening when it comes to certain passages on artificial intelligence.
When I was president of the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Québec, we conducted a survey on the integration of artificial intelligence in SMEs. My interpretation was that those who use artificial intelligence in businesses and SMEs are using it more and faster, even exponentially faster. Conversely, some don't use it at all. We said that, in the coming years, there would be major gaps between those who use it and those who don't.
First of all, do you somewhat agree with that statement?
Second, how can the government encourage this digital transition?