Evidence for Democracy
06/04/2026
Today, the Government of Canada released its renewed national AI strategy following a 30-day consultation with over 11,000 submissions. Evidence for Democracy welcomes the strategy's emphasis on public trust, transparency, and responsible AI governance, but caution is warranted.
Recognition is not the same as commitment. As our Interim Executive Director, Félix Proulx-Giraldeau, notes: "Canada needs a serious long-term investment plan for science, public infrastructure, and democratic resilience, not just a strategy built around commercialization, productivity, and private sector scale-up."
Democratic resilience requires more than guardrails. It demands robust support for research, journalism, education, and the civic infrastructure that helps Canadians navigate misinformation and the social impacts of AI.
Read our full press release here: https://evidencefordemocracy.ca/press-release-canadas-new-ai-strategy-highlights-public-trust-transparency-and-democratic-resilience-although-meaningful-commitment-gaps-remain/
Using AI isn’t always the right solution.
In this clip, panellists reflect on the importance of asking whether AI is actually useful for the problem at hand, rather than assuming it should be used. This means considering the context, the goals, and whether other approaches may be more effective.
Thank you to our panellists, Beatrice Wayne, Helen Hayes, Renée Siebe, and Kimberley Kargus for sharing their insights.
This discussion is part of Evidence for Democracy’s report on AI and democracy.
Watch the full recording: https://youtu.be/xRDPXL5PmgI?si=sbJNZg6XR5CGiu9G
05/26/2026
Our new Spotlight Series is now public!
Data, Doubt, and Distrust: The Public Impact of Alberta's COVID-19 Task Force Report is a volunteer-led case study authored by Hannah Shuster-Hyman, a PhD candidate in Physiology at the University of Toronto. It examines how Alberta's government-commissioned COVID-19 Task Force report sparked widespread condemnation from the medical and scientific community, and why that matters for public health right now.
The analysis identifies serious problems with the quality of evidence used in the report, a lack of transparency, and the use of polarizing rhetoric that has contributed to the erosion of trust in science and healthcare institutions. These are not abstract concerns. Alberta led North America in measles cases in 2025, and Canada has since lost its measles elimination status, a designation it held for over two decades.
Read the full report here: https://evidencefordemocracy.ca/research/spotlight-series-data-doubt-and-distrust-the-public-impact-of-albertas-covid-19-task-force-report/
Why are people turning to AI for answers?
In this clip from our panel on misinformation in Canada, experts discuss how AI tools can appear confident and authoritative, even when they are uncertain or wrong. That sense of certainty can be appealing in a fragmented information environment where trust in traditional sources has eroded.
This discussion was part of the launch of Evidence for Democracy’s latest report on the evolution of misinformation in Canada.
Watch the full panel recording on our YouTube: https://youtu.be/65QPQ6ysCaU?si=47x89j9tqwynEQJe
Why are we talking about AI and democracy?
In this clip, we explore why artificial intelligence is no longer just a technical issue, but a democratic one. From shaping how information is created and shared to influencing public trust and decision-making, AI is already affecting our democracy.
Thank you to our panellists, Beatrice Wayne, Helen Hayes, Renée Siebe, and Kimberley Kargus for sharing their insights.
This discussion is part of Evidence for Democracy’s report on AI and democracy.
Watch the full recording: https://youtu.be/xRDPXL5PmgI?si=sbJNZg6XR5CGiu9G
Public interest research shows that Canadians want to see stronger regulation of AI, yet meaningful action has been slow.
Thank you to our panellists, Beatrice Wayne, Helen Hayes, Renée Siebe, and Kimberley Kargus for sharing their insights.
This discussion is part of Evidence for Democracy’s report on AI and democracy.
Watch the full recording: https://youtu.be/xRDPXL5PmgI?si=sbJNZg6XR5CGiu9G
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