For many things, I do think general LLMs may now make more sense.
Research can now be done just as well using Claude’s Cowork with CanLII.
I compared it with Protégé here and found it more effective for a fraction of the cost:
www.nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
For some areas of practice AI’s role will be more limited and peripheral.
I wrote a short post on what Shapiro gets right, and why the AI future of law will be much more uneven than some of the current enthusiasm suggests:
www.slaw.ca/2026/04/06/t...
@mgeist.bsky.social's recent Law Bytes episode with Zack Shapiro is one of the best discussions I’ve heard on how to use AI effectively in practice. Many of Shapiro’s insights are fascinating and empowering.
But he also paints a picture that leaves a lot out.
Another fantastic and spot-on accurate review of #AI for Communication @routledgebooks.bsky.social This one was written by @robertdiab.bsky.social for the National Communication Assocation journal "Critical Studies in Media Communication."
doi.org/10.1080/1529...
It's always a pleasure to speak with @mgeist.bsky.social and @robertdiab.bsky.social. Robert and I were guests on Michael's great Law Bytes Podcast to discuss Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act 2026. Check it out!
If you care about #lawfulaccess (and you should), you should read what Robert has to say.
Would it matter to you if your cellphone provider were forced to preserve information about where and when you used your phone, and who you were in touch with, for possible use by police?
Why I think this new power in Bill C-22 violates the Charter:
www.robertdiab.ca/posts/metada...
If the new Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act 2026 becomes the law, the government of Canada will be able to secretly order Apple to build a capability into its infrastructure to allow Canadian law enforcement and national security folks to track every iPhone, iPad, Apple watch, Apple AirPod and AirTag in real time. Then they’ll be able to require Apple to confirm whether they provide you any services. Then they can go to a justice of the peace and get an order – without actually believing that a crime has been or will be committed – requiring Apple to hand over EVERY device identifier for every device you use with their services. That’s the digital ID for your iPhone, iPad, Apple watch, Apple AirPod, Apple TV and AirTag. With that information, they can go back to the judge and get an order – again without actually believing that a crime has been or will be committed – requiring Apple to give them the moment-by-moment locations of all your devices. Oh, and that secret order also required Apple to keep your location history for a full year, so cops can get that too. Is that a power we want Canadian police and law enforcement to have?
I have some thoughts on #BillC22 related to #lawfulaccess. More to come ...
Lawful access is back with Bill C-22 this week. Some concerns have been addressed, but many remain — along with some new ones.
I wrote an overview of what C-22 fixes and what it doesn’t. I'm not sure all of it will withstand a Charter challenge.
www.robertdiab.ca/posts/bill-c...
OPED: @robertdiab.bsky.social takes Claude Cowork on a test drive with CanLii. nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
OPED: @robertdiab.bsky.social says Cowork does something he's been eagerly awaiting since chatbots gained the ability to search the web in 2023. www.nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
Tentative answer: yes, an AI disclosure law would engage section 8 of the Charter, because it would involve an interference with a reasonable expectation of privacy.
But it would be a reasonable law if made similar enough to powers to search or seize in exigent circumstances.
Would the requirement that a tech company report to police an “imminent and credible risk” constitute a search under the Charter?
I think companies should be compelled to report. Just pondering where the Charter fits here. If it does.
In the Globe yesterday:
Asked whether he was considering banning ChatGPT in Canada, Mr. Solomon replied, “I would say all options are on the table.”
My review of @davidgunkel.bsky.social's new book "AI for Communication" just out in CSMC -- short version: it strikes a fine balance between substance and concision.
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/8CDKU...
As cases involving AI summaries move forward, courts are grappling with how to assess fair use, says Robert Diab. At stake are key questions about how to treat copying by AI systems, how much summaries can resemble protected works, and whether they serve as substitutes that harm content creators.
In a new post, I respond to @hartzog.bsky.social and @jessicasilbey.bsky.social — AI presents serious challenges for our civic institutions, but not a mortal threat. We still have agency here, and governance matters.
robertdiab.substack.com/p/is-ai-real...
A law paper has gone viral arguing that AI is destined to destroy democracy, the rule of law, education, and the press.
The authors identify real dangers, but they press them so far, and with such certainty, that nuance is lost.
Canada is criminalizing sexual deepfakes and sextortion, but it likely won’t be enough.
In a new post, I look at how prevalent this conduct is in Canada and why regulating AI tools and platforms may matter more.
robertdiab.substack.com/p/sexual-dee...
In my latest post, I ask whether the government could defend these powers by arguing they don’t even engage s. 8 — because they aren’t exercised for an investigative purpose.
The bill gives government broad powers to compel telecoms to do any "specified thing” to secure networks and to share information — potentially including sensitive metadata — across government and with foreign states.
Bill C-8 (the proposed Cyber Security Act) has flown under the radar — but it raises serious Charter questions.
My suggestions aim at:
• narrowing warrantless information demands
• tightening subscriber-ID powers
• protecting encryption
• strengthening independent oversight
All while still giving police the tools they say they need.
Bill C-2 is back.
After a recent roundtable with the Minister of Public Safety calling for ideas for how to improve the bill, I’ve posted “Five Ways to Fix Bill C-2 – and Better Protect Our Privacy”
robertdiab.substack.com/p/five-ways-...
My nominations for the 2025 Clawbies:
- @mgeist.bsky.social for LawBytes, a podcast I have found indispensable for years — celebrating its 250th episode this year.
- @privacylawyer.ca for his outstanding YouTube channel, Privacy Guy — enormously informative and insightful.
#clawbies2025
Can lawyers safely use AI on client files or Crown disclosure?
Law society and Crown policies don’t offer clear answers.
Even “legal AI” tools like Lexis’ Protégé leave room for doubt.
Some lawyers — and courts — are turning to the nuclear option: running AI offline.
