March 11, 2026 8:00 am EDT - March 11, 2026 10:00 am EDT
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Venue: Rideau Club, Ottawa
The federal consultation on Canada’s National AI Strategy surfaced major concerns and recommendations on IP retention, foreign dominance, regulation and accountability, sustainability, job impacts, commercialization, and the role of government.
This breakfast panel, hosted by TCIS and TELUS, will examine those themes, assess what was emphasized in the government’s “What We Heard” release, and discuss what may have been under-emphasized, including trust and public confidence.
The discussion is designed to be practical and policy-focused, with clear options and trade-offs for decision-makers, practitioners, and stakeholders as Canada moves toward the release of the strategy.
The panel will explore IP retention and foreign dominance; safeguards, accountability, and regulation; trust and public confidence; sustainable AI and infrastructure constraints; job displacement and social impacts; government’s role, including procurement as anchor customer; commercialization and Canada’s weak spots; what is missing from the consultation framing; and metrics for success and what government should do next.
Welcome Remarks:
Katie Preiss
Vice-President,
Public Policy and Government Relations, TELUS
Brent Arnold
Chair, The Canadian Internet Society;
Partner, INQ Law
Panelists:
Erin Kelly
President and CEO, Advanced Symbolics Inc. (ASI);
Co-Founder and CEO, askpolly.ai
Michael Geist
Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law,
University of Ottawa
Jaxson Khan
Founder and CEO, Aperture AI;
Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Moderator:
Brent Arnold
Chair, The Canadian Internet Society;
Partner, INQ Law