U.S. lawyer stripped of his security clearance by Trump cautions Canada
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He said Canadians need to be wary of the rise of artificial intelligence that could be used to either target political dissent or shield it, warning that it's hard to prevent attacks on democratic norms, rather than react to them.
Zaid said that there were rumours in Washington about how AI was potentially used to sniff out anti-Trump dissent.
'This is more about whether or not political dissent is going to be tolerated, and so I think AI and the tech community is the next sort of shield,' he said Thursday.
Zaid is co-founder of the non-profit Whistleblower Aid and he said Canada is not immune to the forces that have shaped American political culture under Trump.
'We share so much with our television, the news broadcasts, everything. We're watching each other all the time and so I think what's going on in the United States could easily happen in Canada, which I hope never will,' he said. 'But that's why you watch what's going on elsewhere to make sure it doesn't happen here.'
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Globe and Mail
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Winnipeg Free Press
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Carney called it a top priority and said Ottawa is speaking with Chinese officials at the ministerial level. Premier of Manitoba Wab Kinew speaks to media prior to the First Minister's Meeting in Saskatoon on Monday, June 2, 2025. (Liam Richards / The Canadian Press) A statement released after the meeting said premiers want Canada's trading relationship with China to improve. Beijing imposed retaliatory tariffs of 100 per cent on Canadian canola oil and meal, peas and seafood after Ottawa slapped levies on Chinese-made electric vehicles, steel and aluminum. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has said China's tariffs threaten his province's canola industry. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Kinew agreed it's a major priority for Manitoba. 'I think it speaks to the fact that we're trying to solve this complex, multi-variable equation: We have the Trump administration on one side and then we have an ascendant People's Republic of China on the other side,' he said. 'I think that this meeting here today of the first ministers… is an important step forward for us being able to have that showdown with China, have that showdown with the Trump administration and make sure that you and your jobs come out on top.' — with files from The Canadian Press Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
