Canada has been left out of a recent expansion of Google’s artificial intelligence-powered chatbot known as Bard as the big tech giant continues its fight with the federal government over the Online News Act.
Writing in a blog post Thursday, members of the Bard team said the chatbot has undergone its “biggest expansion to date,” becoming “available in most of the world, and in the most widely spoken languages.”
Google’s parent company Alphabet announced in February that it would open Bard to test users for feedback, followed by a public release.
The company now says its ChatGPT competitor can be used in more than 40 languages and in countries such as Brazil and across Europe.
“As part of our bold and responsible approach to AI, we’ve proactively engaged with experts, policymakers and privacy regulators on this expansion,” the blog post said.
“And as we bring Bard to more regions and languages over time, we’ll continue to use our AI Principles as a guide, incorporate user feedback, and take steps to protect people’s privacy and data.”
But of the more than 230 countries and territories that Bard is currently available in, Canada is not among them.
Also not on the list are countries such as China, Russia, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan and Cuba.
In an email statement Friday, a Google spokesperson did not directly answer a question from CTVNews.ca about whether the decision to exclude Canada is related to the ongoing disputes over the Online News Act.
“As we continue to build Bard responsibly, we’re expanding access to more countries and regions in multiple languages,” the spokesperson said.
“We’re committed to being good partners as we work through regulatory uncertainty in Canada, and we’re enthusiastic about bringing Bard’s generative AI potential to Canadians soon.”
Google and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, have said they would block news links from their platforms over the federal government’s Online News Act, formerly known as Bill C-18.
The bill, which received royal assent in June, would force companies such as Google and Meta to negotiate compensation deals with media outlets.
Supporters of the law say it is meant to level the playing field when it comes to online advertising.
Both Alphabet and Meta make most of their revenue through advertising, which news media companies also have traditionally relied on.
The federal Heritage Department also say Google and Facebook took 80 per cent of the $9.7 billion in online advertising revenue generated in 2020. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez sponsored the Online News Act.
At the time of Bill C-18’s passage, Meta confirmed it would follow through on its previous position to end news availability on Facebook and Instagram for Canadian users.
The company also said it would do so before the Online News Act takes effect, which is expected to be about six months from when it passed.
Google confirmed in June that it would remove Canadian news from its platforms and end existing deals with local publishers.
Both companies have already performed tests to block news for some Canadian users.
Bell Media, which owns CTV News, has also suspended all its advertising on Meta’s platforms.
“Like many Canadians, we are concerned about the consequences Meta’s decision to block links from Canadian news organizations will have on Canadians, and all those who reside or work here, all of whom should be able to rely on independent and trusted news from Canadian sources,” said Bell Media president Wade Oosterman in a written statement.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
