Ghost in the Machine
The DCL Foundation and the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management Present
Ghost in the Machine
Thank you for your interest in the event. Registration is now closed.
Date: Wednesday, November 19th, 2025
Time: 6:00pm – 10:00pm, the lecture begins promptly at 6:30pm, reception to follow
Theme: AI Adoption in the Public Sphere: Useful tool or Dangerous Threat?
According to the , 2024 saw an important acceleration of AI performance in several key metrics, like handling PhD-level scientific questions, text to video, and reasoning.
AI adoption is already happening in the public sphere in Canada – in political backrooms, in government offices, in firms that do political work, and of course AI is rampant on university campuses. On the policy front, the Government of Canada has signaled a plan for expanded AI-adoption in national security and defense as part of the new BOREALIS organization. It has pledged $2.4 billion to support AI infrastructure development in the country. Finally, it has signed an MOU with a leading AI firm to accelerate the use of AI in the federal public service, as part of a broader effort to increase efficiency as it looks to reduce operating costs. The toothpaste seems out of the tube, so to speak….
How do Canadians feel about the use of AI in the public sphere – in their public institutions, in the information they consume, and in their politics?
What do leading experts say about the potential for AI to reshape Canadian government and Canadian politics?
Is this a tool that can work in the public interest or is it a threat to democratic values and cohesion?
