CANADALAND

AI chatbots are encouraging violence, social media is hurting kids, and Ottawa is still trying to figure out how to regulate the harms of the internet after two very public failed attempts. Host Noor Azrieh and Taylor Owen, professor and member of the federal task force on AI and online safety, dig into the federal government’s latest Online Harms push. Why does regulating the internet, especially its nastier corners, keep proving so hard to actually do?PLUS, we hear from Thomas Juneau, former defence analyst and current professor of Middle Eastern security & intelligence, on what a possible Canadian intervention in the region could look like.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Mia Johnson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Taylor Owen, Thomas JuneauBackground reading:Canada could be the next nation to ban social media for kids – POLITICOOnline harms bill needs framework for reporting threats in AI chats, experts say – The Globe and MailJustin Ling: Canada has studied the problem of online harms enough. Now we need to solve it – Toronto StarThe world wants to ban children from social media, but there will be grave consequences for us all | Taylor Lorenz – The GuardianCanada’s rhetorical support for the war on Iran has an audience of one: Donald Trump– The Globe and MailSponsors: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today at douglas.ca/canadalandVisit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz mobile and its long list of added-value features, and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.Buy your next car today with CarGurus at cargurus.ca to make sure your big deal is the best deal.Did you know we have a monthly supporter-exclusive show? We just recorded an episode about rabbit holes, deep dives and obsessions.If you want to hear that (or if you want to catch up on all the great episodes of Off The Record you’ve missed!), you can listen to these amazing, support-exclusive episodes for cheap RIGHT NOW by going to canadaland.com/join. If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Can't get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.

Canada is home to one of the largest Iranian communities outside of Iran in the world. There are over 280,000 Iranian Canadians living here. The rallies they've held in recent months have been some of the largest that Canada has ever seen. According to the CBC last month, 350,000 people took to the streets in Toronto. And that was before the war had even begun.Today we’re checking in with three Iranian-Canadians as they watch history unfold.Host: Jesse BrownCredits:  Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact checking by Julian AbrahamAdditional music by Audio NetworkPhoto: Sima GhaffarzadehMore information:An estimated 350,000 people rally in Toronto in support of Iran protests, police say — CBCIranian-owned gym in Thornhill hit by gunfire — Global NewsSponsors: Fizz: Visit https://fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit https://article.com/canadaland and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.BetterHelp:  Visit https://BetterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.What is Happening Here: Travis Dhanraj in Conversation with CANADALAND's Jesse BrownCan’t get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

Carney travels to India and strikes a landmark deal with Modi, but what about all those allegations of foreign interference by Indian agents in Canada? A senior official in Carney’s government says India is no longer targeting Canadians, but CSIS and other Liberal MPs insist it’s still ongoing. Plus, a new Globe and Mail investigation offers a detailed portrait of the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.Correction:In a previous version of this episode, the driver of the Humboldt Broncos bus, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, was referred to as a temporary foreign worker. He was a permanent resident at the time of the accident.Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Rupa Subramanya Further reading: Carney and India’s Modi strike new energy partnership - National | Globalnews.caEvidence links Indian officials at Vancouver consulate to killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar - The Globe and MailIndian government no longer targeting Canadians, senior official says on eve of PM’s visit - National | Globalnews.caIndian foreign interference ‘continuing,’ say Liberal MPs | Globalnews.ca   Foreign Interference Indictment - US District Court [PDF]‘Our community can’t afford more silence’: Sikhs targeted by Indian-backed criminal groups demand action | The PointerBrookfield 'strategic partner' wins big in India deal - Investigative Journalism FoundationJohn Manley: Man responsible for Humboldt Broncos crash paid his debt to society and should not be deported - National PostTickets for Travis Dhanraj / Jesse Brown    Sponsors: Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today. Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.Squarespace: Check out Squarespace.com/canadaland for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch use code canadaland to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.If you value this podcast, Support us! Sign up now and get 3 months of Canadaland premium and ad-free for 70% off. You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

As journalists, our job is to dig deep into stories. And sometimes, we dig far deeper than we ever thought possible. And those deep dives will often become our most interesting stories.And finding those stories usually follows a pattern.Something catches your eye, it draws you in. You start doing a little research on it.Then you find something that makes us go, “Huh…”You start pulling the thread, follow the bread crumbs, and slowly you find out just how deep the rabbit hole goes. And so we wanted to know, what rabbit holes all of you have gone down? We thought it might be things like wellness influencers, grifts, maybe some MLM scheme. But, the reality was both a lot more normal, and to be honest, a little bit weirder.Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Tony Wang (Executive Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Publisher)Photo: Tony WangAdditional music by Audio NetworkThis show is available exclusively to Canadaland supporters. To become one, go to https://canadaland.com/join/. You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

Carney’s support of the US and Israel’s attack on Iran raises questions around Canada’s “principled pragmatism” approach to foreign policy. Is it consistent with what he said at Davos?Plus, the Iranian-Canadian response to the killing of Ali Khamenei isn’t as mixed as the headlines suggest. Correction: in a previous version of this episode, a statement was erroneously attributed to Quebec’s Minister of Education, Sonia Lebel. It was made by Parti Quebecois MNA Pascal Paradis.Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Rupa Subramanya Further reading: Statement by Prime Minister Carney and Minister Anand on the situation in the Middle EastLloyd Axworthy: Canada once rejected America's aggressive, unlawful foreign policy. Today Mark Carney embraced it - Toronto Star Carney picks a realpolitik side on Iran war - The Globe and Mail  India reset, Iran regime change with Minister Anita Anand | Front Burner | CBC PodcastsAyatollah Ali Khamenei dead at 86, ending his iron grip on Iran | CBC NewsIranian-Canadians celebrate Khamenei's death, but many criticize the foreign intervention and fear for what comes next - The Globe and Mail‘It’s crazy’: Thornhill gym of Iranian-Canadian activist hit by bullets - CTV NewsEurope needs to learn the art of the trade deal - Financial TimesEducation minister investigating reports of IDF soldiers speaking at Jewish schools in Montreal - Montreal Gazette         Sponsors: Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today. Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.CarGurus: Buy your next car today with CarGurus at cargurus.ca If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

More than 24,000 federal public servants have received notices that their jobs could be at risk. That is on top of the 9800 public service employees who were already let go last year. Host Sam Konnert takes us inside the government, specifically, inside a single lab within Environment and Climate Change Canada. A lab tasked with making sure our water is clean and our food is plastic-free. A lab that could go from nine PhD-level scientists, down to one. What happens to the country when these workers get cut, and entire labs are decimated? Who pays the price?Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Mia Johnson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Shirley Tagalik, Christine Bishop Background reading:25,000 public servants warned their jobs could be at risk. Here is the latest on federal job cuts – CTV NewsFive charts to help visualize public service job cuts – Ottawa CitizenFeds target hundreds of Environment and Climate Change Canada workers putting 'public safety and the environment at risk' – Canada’s National ObserverCarney’s government is cutting hundreds of environment and science jobs. Here’s what that means for Canadians – CBC NewsSponsors: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today at douglas.ca/canadalandVisit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz mobile and its long list of added-value features, and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.Your emotional well-being matters. Find yours and feel lighter. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/Canadaland Did you know we have a monthly supporter-exclusive show? We just recorded an episode about rabbit holes, deep dives and obsessions. What’s a rabbit hole you fell (or almost fell) into?If you want to hear that (or if you want to catch up on all the great episodes of Off The Record you’ve missed!), you can listen to these amazing, support-exclusive episodes for cheap RIGHT NOW by going to canadaland.com/join. You’ll get 70% off your membership for a limited time.If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Can't get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.

By some estimates Canada will soon be short thousands of trained aircraft mechanics. The people who keep our flights safe. The government came up with $25 million dollars to help.A whistleblower came to Canadaland to allege that the money bought training materials that were plagiarized, then run through ChatGPT. Those materials resulted in AI slop that included AI hallucinations.Our reporter Gemma Boothroyd brings us her investigation.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Gemma Boothroyd (Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact checking by Julian AbrahamAdditional music by Audio NetworkMore information:Grants and Contributions: Industry Led Training for the Aviation and Aerospace Sector — Government of CanadaSponsors: Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today. The Free bundle now ALSO includes a down-alternative duvet and cover! Visit https://douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offerFizz: Visit https://fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit https://article.com/canadaland and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.BetterHelp:  Visit https://BetterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.Can’t get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

Sparks were markedly absent from the final NDP leadership debate, replaced instead by “violent agreement” amongst candidates. Meanwhile, the federal Liberals’ rightward shift leaves a wide gap on the left side of the political spectrum. What does the NDP need to do to shake off the sleepies, and meet the current political moment?Freelance journalist Luke Savage joins host James Nicholson to give Canada’s traditionally left-leaning party pointers.Host: James NicholsonCredits: James Nicholson (Host), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio, Producer), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Luke Savage Additional music by Audio Network Further reading: The NDP leadership race is a nail-biter. But is anyone paying attention? | CBC NewsOpinion | NDP leadership candidates look inward as their party crumbles around them | Toronto StarNew Abacus Poll: Liberals Open Their Largest Lead Since Carney Became Leader as Optimism Hits Multi-Year High'Bold solutions' versus 'Big tent': Where the NDP leadership race stands ahead of the final debate | CTV NewsCanada Is Edging Toward a Two-Party System. That Would Be a Mistake | The WalrusFour in 10 Canadians prefer socialism but not higher taxes to pay for it | Fraser Institute  Sponsors: Squarespace: Check out Squarespace.com/canadaland for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch use code canadaland to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today. Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.For a limited time, get 70% off your Canadaland subscription. You can become a supporter at canadaland.com/join

 " What in the Silicon Valley ethos of move fast and break stuff would make us expect that they are going to have any real safety concerns at all?"A new report from the Wall Street Journal reveals the U.S. tech company OpenAI knew of troublesome ChatGPT usage by Jesse van Rootselaar, months before the Tumbler Ridge shooting, and did nothing. The news stoked ongoing calls for better guardrails on A.I. chatbots and beyond.Will Canada’s A.I. Minister Evan Solomon decide to “ignore all previous instructions” from Silicon Valley, and ramp up regulation of A.I.?Freelance journalist Luke Savage joins host James Nicholson to discuss.Host: James Nicholson Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Luke SavageCall in to Off The Record and tell us about your research rabbit hole on and Thursday Feb 26th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm EST by going to callinstudio.com/show/canadaland or dialing in at 888-401-7056  Further reading: OpenAI Employees Raised Alarms About Canada Shooting Suspect Months Ago | The Wall Street JournalOpenAI did not mention Tumbler Ridge shooter’s posts in meeting with B.C. officials day after mass shooting: province | The Globe and MailEvan Solomon teases new AI laws as experts warn Canada is behind international peers | BetakitCanada Still Has No Meaningful AI Regulation | Canadian Centre for Policy AlternativesSeven Lawsuits Allege OpenAI Encouraged Suicide and Harmful Delusions | The Wall Street Journal Sponsors: Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today. Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.If you value this podcast, Support us! On sale for 70% off for the next 3 months. $10 total, $3.30/month. Sale runs from February 23rd to March 7th.You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.