Centre for Media, Technology & Democracy
@mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social
Our organization examines how media and emerging technologies shape democracy. We’re housed at McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy, and led by Taylor Owen.
Read the full brief here: tinyurl.com/p4spweew
Special thanks to the contributors: @mathieulavigne.bsky.social, Helen Hayes, Esli Chan, @chrispyross.bsky.social
Special thanks to the contributors: @mathieulavigne.bsky.social, Helen Hayes, Esli Chan, @chrispyross.bsky.social
Canadians’ Perspectives on Governing AI Chatbots A Policy Brief — Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy
This report adds to an evidence-based mandate for AI chatbot regulation in Canada, drawing on nationally representative survey data from 1,454 Canadians and mapping public preferences onto established...
tinyurl.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Read the full brief here: tinyurl.com/p4spweew
Special thanks to the contributors: @mathieulavigne.bsky.social, Helen Hayes, Esli Chan, @chrispyross.bsky.social
Special thanks to the contributors: @mathieulavigne.bsky.social, Helen Hayes, Esli Chan, @chrispyross.bsky.social
Key findings of the brief:
1. Canadians understand of the risks that AI chatbots pose to young people.
2. Canadians assign clear responsibility to AI companies.
3. Canadians support specific, operationalizable interventions mapping onto proven regulatory frameworks.
1. Canadians understand of the risks that AI chatbots pose to young people.
2. Canadians assign clear responsibility to AI companies.
3. Canadians support specific, operationalizable interventions mapping onto proven regulatory frameworks.
February 3, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Key findings of the brief:
1. Canadians understand of the risks that AI chatbots pose to young people.
2. Canadians assign clear responsibility to AI companies.
3. Canadians support specific, operationalizable interventions mapping onto proven regulatory frameworks.
1. Canadians understand of the risks that AI chatbots pose to young people.
2. Canadians assign clear responsibility to AI companies.
3. Canadians support specific, operationalizable interventions mapping onto proven regulatory frameworks.
While a relatively minor information incident, the event’s visibility highlights both democratic vulnerabilities and the need for stronger preparedness and response.
Read the full incident debrief here: tinyurl.com/4c7nm8wp
Read the full incident debrief here: tinyurl.com/4c7nm8wp
Incident Debrief︱Ripple Effects of the Charlie Kirk Assassination in theCanadian Information Ecosystem — Canadian Digital Media Research Network
The Charlie Kirk assassination resulted in an apparent surge of highly charged and polarized online conversations, disinformation and calls for political violence and retribution in the American but a...
tinyurl.com
January 28, 2026 at 8:31 PM
While a relatively minor information incident, the event’s visibility highlights both democratic vulnerabilities and the need for stronger preparedness and response.
Read the full incident debrief here: tinyurl.com/4c7nm8wp
Read the full incident debrief here: tinyurl.com/4c7nm8wp
Our final debrief presents 5 lessons on how political violence spreads through the information ecosystem, revealing gaps between online & offline sentiment, lasting democratic impacts, outsized youth exposure, predictable misinformation cycles, and continued foreign exploitation.
January 28, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Our final debrief presents 5 lessons on how political violence spreads through the information ecosystem, revealing gaps between online & offline sentiment, lasting democratic impacts, outsized youth exposure, predictable misinformation cycles, and continued foreign exploitation.
Read more about @taylorowen.bsky.social's 2026 AI predictions here: tinyurl.com/mr2mmysn
5 AI Trends to Watch in 2026 by AI Expert Taylor Owen
AI expert Taylor Owen identifies 5 critical AI trends for 2026, from politicization to governance gaps. Learn what's shaping AI's future in society, democracy, and policy.
tinyurl.com
January 9, 2026 at 8:45 PM
Read more about @taylorowen.bsky.social's 2026 AI predictions here: tinyurl.com/mr2mmysn
3. Parents will turn their attention from social media to AI.
4. AI will be both increasingly capable and structurally unreliable.
5. New social norms around appropriate uses of AI will begin to take shape.
4. AI will be both increasingly capable and structurally unreliable.
5. New social norms around appropriate uses of AI will begin to take shape.
January 9, 2026 at 8:45 PM
3. Parents will turn their attention from social media to AI.
4. AI will be both increasingly capable and structurally unreliable.
5. New social norms around appropriate uses of AI will begin to take shape.
4. AI will be both increasingly capable and structurally unreliable.
5. New social norms around appropriate uses of AI will begin to take shape.
1. AI will get politicized, forcing institutions to confront political questions about distribution, accountability and public consent.
2. Faced with geopolitical competition, low public trust and safety risks, governments will re-enter AI governance.
2. Faced with geopolitical competition, low public trust and safety risks, governments will re-enter AI governance.
January 9, 2026 at 8:45 PM
1. AI will get politicized, forcing institutions to confront political questions about distribution, accountability and public consent.
2. Faced with geopolitical competition, low public trust and safety risks, governments will re-enter AI governance.
2. Faced with geopolitical competition, low public trust and safety risks, governments will re-enter AI governance.
Across regions, people are calling for stronger regulation and transparent AI governance, reflecting a broader conclusion that public trust and people-centred design must be central to AI’s future.
Watch Prof. Fen Osler Hampson's full talk here: tinyurl.com/fepuwmpp
Watch Prof. Fen Osler Hampson's full talk here: tinyurl.com/fepuwmpp
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tinyurl.com
January 5, 2026 at 9:17 PM
Across regions, people are calling for stronger regulation and transparent AI governance, reflecting a broader conclusion that public trust and people-centred design must be central to AI’s future.
Watch Prof. Fen Osler Hampson's full talk here: tinyurl.com/fepuwmpp
Watch Prof. Fen Osler Hampson's full talk here: tinyurl.com/fepuwmpp
Watch the full interview here: youtu.be/fBKksMQc-gc?...
Standing Up to Trump (Miles Taylor with Justin Hendrix) | Attention: Govern Or Be Governed
YouTube video by Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy
youtu.be
December 19, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Watch the full interview here: youtu.be/fBKksMQc-gc?...
You can read "Are Canadians Climate Doomers?," by @chrispyross.bsky.social, here: tinyurl.com/29skan7u
Chris Ross is a senior analyst for @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social. He has a MA in Political Science from McGill University.
Chris Ross is a senior analyst for @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social. He has a MA in Political Science from McGill University.
Are Canadians Climate Doomers? — Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy
tinyurl.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:54 PM
You can read "Are Canadians Climate Doomers?," by @chrispyross.bsky.social, here: tinyurl.com/29skan7u
Chris Ross is a senior analyst for @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social. He has a MA in Political Science from McGill University.
Chris Ross is a senior analyst for @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social. He has a MA in Political Science from McGill University.
18% of Canadians heard about David Suzuki’s doomer stance reported this past summer. 54% of those who came across the Suzuki headline discussed it with their community. The most common emotional reactions were frustration, helplessness and anxiety.
December 17, 2025 at 6:54 PM
18% of Canadians heard about David Suzuki’s doomer stance reported this past summer. 54% of those who came across the Suzuki headline discussed it with their community. The most common emotional reactions were frustration, helplessness and anxiety.
Canadians vastly overestimate the prevalence of climate doomers in Canada, with the average estimate being 42% of the country. This gap, between the real and perceived size of the climate doomer community, shows that our conversations on climate doom overstate the group's size.
December 17, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Canadians vastly overestimate the prevalence of climate doomers in Canada, with the average estimate being 42% of the country. This gap, between the real and perceived size of the climate doomer community, shows that our conversations on climate doom overstate the group's size.
11-12% of Canadians identify as climate doomers, meaning they think climate action no longer matters and it is too late to make a difference. When you look at breakdowns by social media use, up to 37% of Bluesky users are climate doomers.
December 17, 2025 at 6:54 PM
11-12% of Canadians identify as climate doomers, meaning they think climate action no longer matters and it is too late to make a difference. When you look at breakdowns by social media use, up to 37% of Bluesky users are climate doomers.
In collaboration with Re.Climate, we fielded an original survey to a nationally representative sample of 1,431 Canadians between Aug 28th and Sept 3rd, 2025 to understand Canadian attitudes on climate doomerism. Here's what we found:
December 17, 2025 at 6:54 PM
In collaboration with Re.Climate, we fielded an original survey to a nationally representative sample of 1,431 Canadians between Aug 28th and Sept 3rd, 2025 to understand Canadian attitudes on climate doomerism. Here's what we found:
We investigated the topic of climate doom—the belief that climate change is an unstoppable catastrophe and that it is too late to take effective action against it—to determine how Canadians really feel and whether Suzuki's comments were just the tip of the iceberg.
December 17, 2025 at 6:54 PM
We investigated the topic of climate doom—the belief that climate change is an unstoppable catastrophe and that it is too late to take effective action against it—to determine how Canadians really feel and whether Suzuki's comments were just the tip of the iceberg.
By enforcing existing laws, regulating bottleneck platforms and actively creating the conditions for alternatives to thrive, we can achieve vibrant digital markets that serve both prosperity and democracy.
Watch the full panel here: tinyurl.com/3x2wmh8n
Watch the full panel here: tinyurl.com/3x2wmh8n
Panel: Reigning in Tech Monopolies | Attention: Govern Or Be Governed
Moderator Vass Bednar (Managing Director, Canadian Shield Institute) discusses reigning in tech monopolies with guests Luther Lower (Head of Public Policy, Y Combinator) and Marcus Bokkerink (former Chair of the UK Competition and Markets Authority) at Attention: Govern Or Be Governed. Attention: Govern Or Be Governed was a two-day international gathering, dedicated to understanding how the world's democracies can chart a new path forward in the digital age. This event was presented by Paradigms, the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, and the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. Videography by Victor Oly, Natasha Zimin, and Jorge Vasconez. Visit the Attention website to learn more: https://www.attentionconferences.com/conferences/2025-forum
tinyurl.com
December 11, 2025 at 6:40 PM
By enforcing existing laws, regulating bottleneck platforms and actively creating the conditions for alternatives to thrive, we can achieve vibrant digital markets that serve both prosperity and democracy.
Watch the full panel here: tinyurl.com/3x2wmh8n
Watch the full panel here: tinyurl.com/3x2wmh8n
Panel 3, Legislative Solutions and Global Lessons, examined Taiwan’s Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act and Indonesia's code of conduct for trustworthy AI to mitigate deepfake-driven identity fraud, to draw lessons from international innovation in regulating AI scams.
December 5, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Panel 3, Legislative Solutions and Global Lessons, examined Taiwan’s Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act and Indonesia's code of conduct for trustworthy AI to mitigate deepfake-driven identity fraud, to draw lessons from international innovation in regulating AI scams.