Claude Cowork has introduced a legal plug-in threatening to upend the traditional legal industry. The plug-in automates contract review, and provides NDA triage, compliance workflows, legal briefings, and templated responses. It claims to be able to reproduce work similar to that routinely provided by lawyers. In the AI race to see which company can dominate first, Claude has made a name for itself and is one of the frontrunners.

Brian Boyle writes in the Daily Upside that the introduction of the Claude AI plug-in has caused shares of predominant Software as a Service firms such as Adobe, HubSpot and Salesforce . . . [more]

Among immigration professionals, there is a joke that if you go to the washroom, you will miss a change in policy. The amendments to legislation and changes to IRCC programs are so prevalent, we have to work in an environment of uncertainty and unpredictability. I regularly meet with individuals who apply to defunct programs, and they are frustrated after IRCC has refused their application. With a huge disclaimer that we have no inside knowledge, here are our predictions for the Canadian immigration system for 2026.

Prediction #1: Closing Doors for Temporary Residents

Minister Diab’s Immigration Levels plan for 2026-2028, . . . [more]

In September, 2025, the Commonwealth formally adopted theCommonwealth Model Law on Digital Trade. It replaces the Model Law on Electronic Transactions from 2002.

The 2002 Model Law essentially provided a consistent method for Commonwealth states to implement the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce(MLEC)(1996). The MLEC has now been adopted in over 100 jurisdictions worldwide and underpins the global legal use of e-communications.

All Canadian jurisdictions have had a version of the MLEC since the early 2000s, all but Quebec through adoption of the Uniform Electronic Commerce Act created by the Uniform Law Conference of Canada in . . . [more]

There has been much chatter on LinkedIn about a new academic article about the Verification-Value Paradox (of GenAI use by lawyers).

The article claims that it is doubtful that GenAI delivers value to lawyers because any efficiency gains are erased by the time spent verifying its output; a framing that the author calls the “verification-value paradox.”

The “paradox” is:

More AI = more verification = less value.

The author admits that this paper is not based on fresh, robust empirical evidence, as he waffles back and forth in much of his discussion of the paradox; essentially stating that GenAI . . . [more]

AI Generated Government?

It’s interesting that both of these articles came through on my feed in the same day:

Ahmed Otmani Amaouim, “Canada’s new Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation: What it means for Canadian innovators” (MNP, last accessed September 12, 2025), online: https://www.mnp.ca/en/insights/directory/what-it-means-for-canadian-innovators.

and then

Patrick Butler, “N.L.’s 10-year education action plan cites sources that don’t exist” (CBC, September 12, 2025), online: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/education-accord-nl-sources-dont-exist-1.7631364.

Falsified Education Policy?

Let’s just call it – it was Newfoundland and Labrador’s **Education Accord** (10 year policy document) (that cost $755,000 dollars, no less) which contained falsified sources:

Yumna Iftikhar, “PCs ‘not . . . [more]

When was the last time you heard someone talk about NFTs? Was it when Paris Hilton and Jimmy Fallon showed off their Bored Apes on national television back in January of 2022? Or perhaps it was when Donald Trump unveiled his line of NFTs in December 2022. Or maybe, just maybe, you have that one friend who still insists, daily and with unwavering conviction, that NFTs are poised for a triumphant comeback, that the future of art is non-fungible, and that you’re a fool for not mortgaging your home to buy a JPEG of a doge meme. For the rest . . . [more]

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]