Madam Chair, thank you for reminding our colleagues, who are listening attentively, of this committee's rules and procedures.
So, I was mentioning this:
There are a number of enablers to ensure Canada can be at the forefront of research on AI systems for the public good. The federal government will need to commit stable funding and create collaborative spaces and processes for research dissemination. CUPE has proposed that a public sector AI innovation hub be formed with representation from researchers, universities, trade unions and government. A Canadian Observatory on AI and Work would coordinate and disseminate key research on the impact of AI on work. Sectoral tables would also be established to assess how AI is affecting at-risk workers and industries and put in place active labour market strategies to support workers.
I would like to address another issue raised in the brief:
What efforts are needed to attract, develop, and retain top AI talent across research, industry, and the public sector? (i.e., differentiated enablers for research vs. applied talent; domestic vs. global talent strategies; targeted attraction programs and priority domains; international collaboration opportunities) There is no doubt that a lot of AI talent would be drawn toward a public sector AI innovation hub that was leading in building AI for the public good. The federal government also has many IT specialists who could be supported to up-skill and develop AI development skills. These workers should be supported with targeted training and up-skilling education. By investing in its own workforce, the federal government would be building its internal capacity to develop worker-centred AI applications that can augment workers and result in better public services.