What motivates you the most in the workplace? Is it the sense of accomplishment from completing a challenging project? Or maybe the camaraderie of collaborating with a great team? No, of course not. Silly of you to think that! The thing that motivates all of us, of course, is fear and paranoia that comes from workplace surveillance! It is the sentiment of an invisible omnipresence—with the threat of criticism, punishment, or even unemployment—that will deliver managers the best results. What else could drive productivity quite like the Orwellian nightmare of constantly being watched by your superior?

This seems to be . . . [more]

I recently learned of a new AI-detection software that I was curious to test.

What a Human Eye Can Pick Up

This spring, two faculty members asked me for some help in determining whether student papers may have been generated by AI.

I found a few non-determinative clues such as, the lack of footnotes for key concepts, the lack of pinpoint citations in footnotes, and writing that is generalized, high-level or non-analytical.

But up until now, I hadn’t heard of any AI detection software that could help.

AI to the Rescue?

So I was curious to try out QuillBot – . . . [more]

This article offers a concise overview of the Council of Europe’s (CoE) recent efforts in shaping global artificial intelligence (AI) governance. The newly adopted Framework Convention on AI has important implications for member states and beyond, notably Canada. Organizations and employers beginning to navigate the AI landscape will want to assess the widespread impact of this treaty on businesses worldwide. . . . [more]

Today, I read two articles that, at first, appear to be entirely unrelated to one another.

Technology – Another Drain on Public Resources?

First, this one:
Elizabeth Thompson, “Federal Government Plans to Increase its use of AI – With Some Big Exceptions” (CBC News, May 27, 2024), online.

I read this article with interest. I have a continuing concern about the persistent underfunding of our public services in this country.

I’ve seen it happen first hand, and have written about here. Technology companies come to the public sector looking to make millions. Technology companies step up to the . . . [more]

For those of you who are watching the regulatory environment for AI, here are some of the latest additions to my Guide to AI Regulation.

Federal

Updated – Notice to the Parties and the Profession: The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Court Proceedings, (Federal Court of Canada, updated May 7 2024), online.

Robert Morrissey, Chair. Implications of Artificial Intelligence Technologies for the Canadian Labour Force: Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, 44th Parl, 1st Sess (House of Commons of Canada, May 2024).online . . . [more]

The recent CBA national conference for immigration lawyers passed as though COVID is a distant memory. Crowded rooms full of professionals who serve the Canadian immigration system and our diverse mosaic of communities, in some way or another. Past practices of social distancing or meeting remotely have gone the way of the Dodo bird. At this recent conference, I was struck by one of the huge benefits of in-person learning: presenters can be candid and forthcoming, without fear their comments are being recorded. Speakers were able to share their thoughts and opinions freely without potential negative repercussions to them personally… . . . [more]

Updating Law Journal Submission Guidelines

I recently mentioned to local law journal editors that their Submission Guidelines may need to be updated to address the implications of AI.

Surveying the Options

First, I think it is important for journal editors to have it on the radar that AI generated journal submissions are a distinct possibility.

This will require editorial boards to have a proactive conversation about how to handle such submissions.

In my mind, there are a few options available. Here is some language that editors might consider:

Option 1: Submissions shall not contain any AI generated content.

or

Option . . . [more]

On March 27, 2024, Windsor Law Professor Pascale Chapdelaine released her latest article on the very interesting topic of algorithmic personalized pricing.

Pascale Chapdelaine, “Algorithmic Personalized Pricing: A Personal Data Protection and Consumer Law Perspective” (2024) 102 Can Bar Rev (forthcoming, online via SSRN).

Here’s more information about the article:

“Price is often the single most important term in consumer transactions. As the personalization of e-commerce continues to intensify, the law and policy implications of algorithmic personalized pricing i.e., to set prices based on consumers’ personal data with the objective of getting as closely as possible to their maximum willingness . . . [more]

In the article “AI’s Next Frontier“, author Bernard Marr discusses the future of Brain-Computer Interfaces. Over the years, surgical methods have evolved to the point where people can now experiment with implanting sensors into the human brain and collect data.

Marr writes “Today, one of the best-known pioneers is Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk…It aims to enable people suffering from paralysis to use machines and prosthetic limbs to recover their mobility…[Another company, named NextMind] has developed a device that translates signals from the visual cortex into digital commands. As well as creating tools that allow computers to . . . [more]

AI – the discussion points keep coming!

I just spent about 15 minutes of my day stripping my face off the internet!
That includes asking Google and Edge to remove cached images of my face.

Why the heck would I do that?

Here’s why:

Taryn Plumb, “Face Off: Attackers are Stealing Biometrics to Access Victims’ Bank Accounts” (February 21, 2024).

“…cybersecurity company Group-IB has discovered the first banking trojan that steals people’s faces. Unsuspecting users are tricked into giving up personal IDs and phone numbers and are prompted to perform face scans. These images are then swapped out with AI-generated . . . [more]

Last semester, with increasing agitation in the media about AI’s potential impact on the legal profession, I decided to wade in and show my students a little AI in my law school classroom. The course is Advanced Legal Research.

The Experiment

I gathered up a list of interesting readings on the topic of AI and the legal profession. Many of them pointed to horror stories or emerging policies and guidelines in the area. Later I decided to record my findings in my AI Regulation LibGuide.

I made all of this available in an optional readings folder.

AI Panel Weighs

Customer service is in decline. In my opinion, the problem is worse with large organizations.

I skimmed the surface in my last post “The Robots are Already in Control (Part One)“.

Companies that are primarily internet-based are the worst. One of my major pet peeves is a corporate website that has no phone numbers. For many, at best the customer service phone line is almost unfindable – buried four clicks into the site. I’ve even gone so far as to phone the “company” side of the business (the side that deals with shareholders), because there was no . . . [more]