Shopify merchants left angry and confused as company goes big on AI support - The Logic Following years of layoffs, Shopify has turned to AI to improve its floundering merchant support service. Many paying customers aren’t happy.

"The AI is just not there," says one merchant who pays for a premium tier that promises 24/7 support and a dedicated service rep, but is now faced w/ an "endless back and forth" with AI. How Shopify's plan to turnaround its struggling customer-service dept. by using more AI has left merchants angry:

OpenAI wants to be part of Canada’s sovereign AI play - The Logic The U.S. tech giant says it can be a “constructive partner” in building the country’s digital infrastructure and kickstarting economic growth

New from me: Can Canadian sovereign AI include ChatGPT?

OpenAI thinks so. Policy chief Chris Lehane says the U.S. firm wants to be a “constructive partner” to Ottawa’s AI plans, and is game to participate in the country’s digital infrastructure buildout.

thelogic.co/news/openai-...

What rose from the ashes of DeepMind Alberta - The Logic DeepMind’s arrival in Alberta put it on the AI map. When it left, some feared it would be a major blow to the province’s ambitions in the sector. It wasn’t.

New from me: AI researchers in Edmonton are dreaming different dreams these days

DeepMind Alberta's closure in early 2023 was covered as a blow to the region's AI ambitions. Two years later, its AI ecosystem is thriving, with startups, breakthroughs and more

thelogic.co/news/the-big...

The Defence Department had a $14M contract with Palantir for data management software - The Logic The federal government bought access to the firm’s technology to share and process information, but says it’s no longer using it

New from me: The Canadian Department of National Defence signed a $14M contract with Palantir in early 2020 to use its Gotham software for information processing and data management

Ottawa didn’t disclose deal at the time, but cited it in Parliamentary filings this week
thelogic.co/news/palanti...

The chat around the contents of the Carney government's major projects list made me think about one of the most fun lil sketches on the political happenings of the day that I wrote for a now-dead magazine

One prime minister and three finance ministers ago: macleans.ca/politics/ott...

☀️Good morning! 🇨🇦 Our Made-in-Canada Tech Special of The AmberMac Show is coming up on July 1st on SiriusXM Ch 167 & wherever you get your podcasts:

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From BlackBerry to the Jolly Jumper, it's the best in Canadian tech. Plus, @muradhem.bsky.social talks Canada's AI story.

Nvidia has acquired Canadian AI startup CentML - The Logic The chip giant has bought the startup and its technology, with at least three of the co-founders and 15 engineers making the switch, The Logic has learned

Scoop: NVIDIA has acquired CentML, a Toronto-based startup making software to run AI models faster and more efficiently

thelogic.co/news/exclusi...

Liberals won’t reintroduce old AI law but will address copyright issues - The Logic The government is working on an updated “regulatory framework” for AI, Evan Solomon told The Logic

New from me: AI Minister Evan Solomon says the Liberal government will not reintroduce the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act wholesale, but its forthcoming "regulatory framework" for AI will address how copyright applies to the technology

thelogic.co/news/exclusi...

Cohere had contract with Canadian cyber intelligence agency, documents reveal - The Logic The Communications Security Establishment did a deal for the AI firm’s services, internal government documents obtained by The Logic reveal

Scoop: Cohere has sold its services to the Canada’s cyber intelligence agency, internal government documents obtained by @thelogic.co show. The AI firm landed a contract with the Communications Security Establishment as it pushes into the public sector.

thelogic.co/news/exclusi...

Scoop from me: U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is employing disinformation "for political purposes," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told business leaders in a closed-door meeting Friday.

thelogic.co/news/exclusi...

Leaked audio: Trudeau says Trump wants to annex Canada for its critical minerals - The Logic In closed-door session with business leaders, PM suggests 51st state talk is serious, says Canada needs to mend fences with Mexico.

New from @joannasmith.bsky.social and me: Behind closed doors, Trudeau told business leaders that Trump talk of absorbing Canada is about critical minerals

In scoop-ier detail: He said "political sensitivities" kept 🇺🇸 firms quiet on tariffs, and 🇨🇦 needs to make up with 🇲🇽 thelogic.co/news/trump-c...

Inside Canadian tech’s not-so-quiet shift to the right - The Logic Canada’s tech leaders are cozying up with Pierre Poilievre in hopes he’ll deliver the innovation agenda the Liberals promised.

That first story about Build Canada is part of this feature on the wider movement of tech leaders souring on the current Liberal government and building ties with the likely-to-be-incoming Conservatives: thelogic.co/news/the-big...

New from @catherinemcintyre.bsky.social and me: Prominent tech leaders have launched Build Canada, a group proposing policy to influence government direction on issues like taxation, immigration and health care.

@thelogic.co first reported organizing efforts last month

thelogic.co/news/build-c...