VICTORIA, B.C. – The BC Greens welcome the Province’s steps to engage the federal government on stronger protections for youth related to social media and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, but warn that AI harms extend to adults and that the legislation the Province is advocating for would not go far enough.
“Protecting kids is a necessary and crucial step, but serious risks remain for adults, as well,” said Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky.
“From misinformation and disinformation, to emerging concerns like AI-driven psychological harms, and the rise of intimate image abuse, including AI-generated deepfakes not fully covered by the government’s recent amendments, this industry requires far stronger regulation.”
For weeks now, the BC Greens have been calling on the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence to release the ministry’s service and work plan to open the books and be transparent about their intentions for AI in this province.
The BC Greens are calling on the government to strike a People’s Assembly on AI, alongside the creation of a Digital Literacy Secretariat.
“We need to ensure not only that individuals are equipped to use these tools responsibly, but that corporations are held accountable for how they design and deploy them,” said Valeriote. “The public needs a say on how they want AI to function in their daily lives—and they need to be protected from the dangers if we can help it.”
BC Greens’ leader Emily Lowan said that governments need to take bold action to address the serious harm tech companies and their CEOs can inflict on British Columbians.
“The pursuit of profit by these companies is at the expense of not only our youth’s mental health, but adults as well. It’s incumbent on our governments to address it and, so far, legislation has struggled to keep pace. The BC Greens know the corporate playbook. It’s time for our governments to get ahead of it.”
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Media Contact
Ryan Hook
Press Secretary
BC Green Caucus
+1 (250) 882 6187 | Ryan.Hook@leg.bc.ca