**Bill C-34 Leaves Key Questions on AI Governance Hanging**
Government’s Safe Social Media Act relies on future regulations from a new Digital Safety Commission.
The Canadian government’s Safe Social Media Act, Bill C-34, introduced yesterday, has many people feeling like they’re being left in the dark. The bill sets out to regulate online safety, but instead of making clear decisions, it kicks a number of important questions to a new Digital Safety Commission that hasn’t even been established yet.
**AI Chatbots in the Dark**
One of the most contentious aspects of the bill is how it will regulate AI chatbots. The government wants to make sure these AI-powered interfaces are safe and secure, but it doesn’t provide any concrete guidelines. Instead, it defers to the Digital Safety Commission to sort out the details.
50 Key Decisions Left to the Cabinet
Bill C-34 also empowers the cabinet to make decisions on 50 different aspects of online safety, without providing any clear guidance on how these decisions should be made. This has left many wondering what the government’s true vision is for online safety.
**What This Means**
For now, the bill’s vague language means that businesses and developers will be left to try and guess what the government wants them to do, rather than being given clear instructions. This lack of clarity can lead to uncertainty, which can be a major obstacle for innovation.
**A New Commission with a Long To-Do List**
The Digital Safety Commission will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Safe Social Media Act, but it’s unclear when it will be established or who will lead it. The commission will have a long to-do list, including creating rules for AI chatbots, regulating online content, and ensuring that online services are safe for users.
The Safe Social Media Act may have been introduced with the intention of making online spaces safer, but it’s clear that more work needs to be done before concrete steps can be taken. The government will need to provide more clarity and guidance on how it plans to regulate online safety, and what this will mean for businesses and developers.
