Hype or not, Canada’s governments have invested heavily in AI, and the sector is booming. As of March 2021, an estimated $1 billion in government funding has flowed to AI research, academic programs and business ventures. The formation of national “AI institutes” in Toronto, Montreal, and Edmonton has led to over $3 billion in private investment, hundreds of new AI firms, and tens of thousands of specialized AI jobs. While hype may be overshooting the technology’s actual potential, institutional actors are responding with oceans of cash and are expecting big returns. Making apps like ChatGPT and DALL-E accessible is a central driver of the current wave of coverage and speculation, and is costing OpenAI millions per month. The AI hype is fuelling a dizzying array of profound disruptions to workplaces, employer-worker relationships, and business models. Even if the most overblown promises fall short, what lies ahead are drastic shifts in power that are bound to favour corporations and the ultra-wealthy. https://breachmedia.ca/canada-is-leading-an-ai-boom-that-will-fuel-corporate-power/