What do “Responsible AI” Practitioners Think About? Agency and Ethics in Canada’s AI Development in a Transatlantic Context
Abstract
Background: This research brief examines the evolving notion of responsible artificial intelligence (RAI) through a strategic-foresight workshop with practitioners engaged in AI governance in Montréal, Canada’s transatlantic AI hub. Analysis: By developing an advanced horizon-scanning research design (the Archer Model), the study identifies three key signals likely to shape the future of AI governance: the concentration of corporate power, the erosion of regulatory independence, and deepening information asymmetries. Conclusion and implications: The findings highlight key governance concerns within a national and international AI hub, revealing limits to practitioner influence and the need to legitimate emerging voices and networks in AI governance. Methodologically, the study advances a specific strategic-foresight design as a policyrelevant tool capturing governance dynamics beyond static opinion snapshots.