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Dec 8 2024

Poilievre's briefing. Bias Meter. AI and Democracy.

Dec 8, 2024
David Akin's Roundup
Clippings of #cdnpoli, #media, and #tech content aimed at those with an interest in Canadian politics and policy. And sometimes Canadian postage stamps.
Canada
CSIS to brief Conservative Leader Poilievre on national security threats despite his lack of special clearance
The move comes more than a month after Trudeau said he would ask security services to find another way to brief Poilievre on foreign interference targeting the Conservatives. [Globe and Mail 🎁]
The three biggest spenders on carbon tax-related ads on Meta's platforms in the past year were Pierre Poilievre's Facebook page, which spent between $287,600 and $379,539, followed by the Ontario PC Party ($191,000 to $240,560) and the Conservative Party of Canada ($152,600 to $201,825). [ampproject.org]
From the Provinces
Review of 'broken' freedom-of-information system to finally get underway in P.E.I.
Toby MacDonald has reached a conclusion after a long quest for answers about asbestos at her daughter's former school: P.E.I.'s freedom of information system, 'our last line of defence for transparency and accountability,' can be summed up in a word: 'Broken.' [CBC]
Dans une dĂ©claration publiĂ©e samedi matin sur le rĂ©seau social X, le politicien a assurĂ© qu’il allait bien, et que son conjoint l’a rapidement amenĂ© Ă  l’hĂŽpital dĂšs l’apparition des premiers symptĂŽmes. [TVA] Get well soon, Éric!
Elsewhere
Trump welcomed by Macron to Paris, joined by Zelensky in their meeting
France's Emmanuel Macron welcomed President-elect Donald Trump to Paris with lots of presidential pomp. Ukraine's president joins them in meeting. [LA Times]
China is racing to unseat the United States as the world’s technological superpower. Not if Jake Sullivan can help it. [Wired] Really interesting long read but you'll need a subscription or a library subscription -- like I have to the Ottawa Public Library -- that gives you access to Wired via the Libby app.
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Media
L.A. Times Owner Plans ‘Bias Meter’ Next to Coverage
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong said that he planned to introduce the tool, which he said would appear next to the paper’s news articles and opinion pieces, in January. [NYT 🎁]
Speaking after the sale was announced, [new Observer boss] Harding said he was "honoured and excited at the prospect of working together to renew the Observer". He added that he promises its readers "we will do all we can to live up to its history as a defender of human dignity and to give it a new lease of life as a powerful, progressive voice in the world". [BBC]
Our picks this year run the gamut from insightful stories to some good old-fashioned absurdity. [Esquire]
Science and Tech
Evgeny Morozov Critiques of artificial intelligence abound. Where’s the utopian vision for what it could be? Here's your Sunday long read(s). Morozov gets it started then there are responses from Terry Winograd, Bruce Schneier, Brian Eno and other smart people. Highly recommend for anyone with any interest in AI policy, history of science, history of technology. Some excerpts:

  • “It’s one thing to let Big Tech manage cloud computing, word processing, or even search; in those areas, the potential for mischief seems smaller. But generative AI raises the stakes, reigniting debates about the broader relationship between technology and democracy”
  • "Shouldn’t science have been directed toward exploring how computers could serve citizens, civil society, and the public sphere writ large—not just by automating processes, but by simulating possibilities, by modeling alternate futures? And who, if anyone, was speaking up for these broader interests?”
  • "As long as AI remains largely under corporate control, placing our trust in this technology to solve big societal problems might as well mean placing our trust in the market."
The Calendar
  • 1030 ET: Dieppe, NB - Environment Min Steven Guilbeault and Public Safety Min Dominic LeBlanc make a funding announcement.
  • 1100 ET: Ottawa - Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks to reporters.
  • 1300 ET: Whitehorse - Women and Gender Equality Min Marci Ien makes a funding announcement.
  • 1930 ET: Sidney, BC - GPC MP Elizabeth May attends a holiday parade.

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