At #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, Prof. Fen Osler Hampson (@carleton.ca) shared new insights from the Carleton–CIGI–Ipsos Trust in the Internet Global Survey. The data show growing global concern about online privacy and sharply divided trust in AI across regions and types of AI. 🧵

At #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, @justinhendrix.bsky.social (@techpolicypress.bsky.social) spoke with @milestaylor.bsky.social (former Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Homeland Security) about the erosion of democratic guardrails and the expanding capacity of executive power in the United States. 🧵

At #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, @vassb.bsky.social (Managing Director, @canadianshieldinstitute.ca) asked Marcus Bokkerink (former Chair of the UK Competition & Markets Authority) and @lutherlowe.bsky.social (Head of Public Policy, Y Combinator), what does successful digital market regulation look like?

We recently heard from @garymarcus.bsky.social at #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, where he argued that we are witnessing an AI bubble.

This week, @taylorowen.bsky.social interviewed him on Machines Like Us to discuss whether an alternative AI could save us. Check it out here: youtu.be/Q72flbyc2yQ

Panel: The Existential Crisis Facing Public Interest Media | Attention: Govern Or Be Governed Moderator Patricia Campos Mello (Journalist, Folha de São Paulo) interviews Catherine Tait (former CEO of CBC/Radio Canada) and Emily Bell (Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism) about the existential crisis facing public interest media, at Attention: Govern Or Be Governed. Attention: Govern Or Be Governed was a two-day international gathering, dedicated to understanding how the world's democracies can chart a new path forward in the digital age. This event was presented by Paradigms, the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, and the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. Videography by Victor Oly, Natasha Zimin, and Jorge Vasconez. Visit the Attention website to learn more: https://www.attentionconferences.com/conferences/2025-forum

At #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, @camposmello.bsky.social (Journalist, Folha de São Paulo) interviewed former CEO of CBC/Radio Canada, Catherine Tait, and Professor @emilybell.bsky.social on the existential crisis facing public interest media.

Watch the full panel here: tinyurl.com/3ajzpxnf

Data privacy was a recurring theme at our October conference, #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned. According to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Philippe Dufresne, this is a particularly fundamental value for Canadians, with 9/10 expressing deep concerns in OPC surveys. 🧵

What is a democratic technology and what does that actually mean? This was the guiding question that @ivansigal.bsky.social posed to Professor @ethanz.bsky.social and Mark Surman in their panel, Building the Next Generation of Democratic Tech, at #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned. 🧵

Thank you to @jameeljaffer.bsky.social, @imranahmed.bsky.social, and @klonick.bsky.social for joining us at #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned.

Listen to their discussion about the perilous new free speech moment here: youtu.be/49rqCoB9L98?...

At #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, @jameeljaffer.bsky.social (Executive Director, @knightcolumbia.org), @imranahmed.bsky.social (CEO, @counterhate.com) joined Professor @klonick.bsky.social (St. John’s University School of Law) to discuss the perilous new free speech moment in the U.S. and beyond. 🧵

We were very lucky to hear from Baroness Beeban Kidron at at #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned. You can now listen to her full talk here: youtu.be/6cryJRsWt-c?...

#BeebanKidron #UK #artificialintelligence

Oftentimes, efforts to regulate the tech industry are framed as antithetical to innovation. Baroness Beeban Kidron (Member of the UK House of Lords) argued that the inverse is true in her virtual talk on valuing artists in the age of AI at #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned 🧵

A key debate in discussions about regulating online spaces is how best to frame legislation. At #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, moderator @damiancollins.bsky.social asked this question to Sasha Havlicek, @alexandrageese.bsky.social, and Sir Jeremy Wright. 🧵

Watch Jim Balsillie's full closing keynote from #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned here: youtu.be/5WhV_-BzeME?...

Jim Balsillie (former Chair & Co-CEO, Research in Motion) joined us at #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned to address what he calls the "mythical three-headed Cerberus" of surveillance capitalism threatening Canada's democracy. 🧵

#cdnpoli

At #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, Megan Garcia (Mother, Lawyer, and Advocate) and Meetali Jain (@techjusticelaw.bsky.social) joined Ava Smithing (Young People's Alliance & Centre Youth Fellow) to talk about the latest threat to children online: AI chatbots. 🧵

"Every innovation forces societies to decide if they want to govern technology or to be governed by it. The answer has never been less innovation, but more accountability." This was the reminder that @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social gave us when opening #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned 🧵

In April, Jim Balsillie (former Chair & Co-CEO, Research in Motion) joined @taylorowen.bsky.social on the Machines Like Us podcast, where he asserted that Canada's problem isn't Trump, "Canada's problem is Canada."

At #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, they reunited to talk about un-capturing democracy. 🧵

At #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, @yoshuabengio.bsky.social (Co-President & Scientific Director of @law-zero.bsky.social and Founder & Scientific Advisor of @mila-quebec.bsky.social) stressed the need to disentangle transparency of how AI is built versus transparency of what is going on inside the AI. 🧵

One of the guiding themes of #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned was how we can build digital technologies with humans in mind. This question has informed much of Frank McCourt's work, as the Founder of @projectliberty.io and Executive Chairman of McCourt Global. 🧵

#Attention2025

Reimagining Digital Public Infrastructure (Cory Doctorow) | Attention: Govern Or Be Governed Writer and activist Cory Doctorow on how we can reimagine digital public infrastructure that actually works for us. This talk was part of Attention: Govern Or Be Governed. Attention: Govern Or Be Governed was a two-day international gathering, dedicated to understanding how the world's democracies can chart a new path forward in the digital age. This event was presented by Paradigms, the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, and the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. Visit the Attention website to learn more: https://www.attentionconferences.com/conferences/2025-forum

Doctorow joined us at #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned to discuss what he refers to as "Enshittification," and how we can reimagine our digital public infrastructure to actually serve us. Now you can learn about how this happened and what to do about it here: tinyurl.com/47t6dmxj

In May, @evansolomon.bsky.social became Canada's first Minister of AI and Digital Innovation.

At #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, Solomon joined Anna Jahn (Executive Director, the Centre) to discuss his mandate 150 days in. 🧵

#Attention2025 #cdnpoli #EvanSolomon #AI

Attention: Govern Or Be Governed offered inspiring dialogue on how democracies worldwide can better navigate this digital era. Now, we are thrilled to share these insights with you, starting with @garymarcus.bsky.social and @muradhem.bsky.social. 🧵

#AttnGovernOrBeGoverned #Attention2025

When asked how she was unafraid @mariaressa.bsky.social said I have the facts! Book shows excellent work done by @rappler.bsky.social to prove what we know- first business, then autocrats hire people to sow FUD (fear uncertainty doubt). -> outrageous #lies become credible #AttnGovernorBeGoverned

From left: Murad Hemmadi and Gary Marcus. Photo by Dzesika Devic.

When will the AI bubble burst? In the final conversation of #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, @garymarcus.bsky.social (Professor Emeritus of Psychology & Neural Science, NYU) likened Sam Altman's talk of "scaling laws" to insanity, or doing the same thing and expecting AGI.

#Attention2025

Taylor left us with a few sources of hope: that there are some dissenting voices within MAGA who deeply distrust the tech sector and that the cost of dissent can be lowered by increasing the supply.

#AttnGovernOrBeGoverned #Attention2025

From left: Justin Hendrix and Miles Taylor. Photo by Dzesika Devic.

@milestaylor.bsky.social tried to warn us about Trump 2.0. And now, as the former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told @justinhendrix.bsky.social of @techpolicypress.bsky.social, he is paying the price.

#AttnGovernOrBeGoverned #Attention2025

From left: Ava Smithing, Meetali Jain, and Megan Garcia. Photo by Dzesika Devic.

Another powerful moment from #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned was the day 2 plenary panel: Chatbots as the New Threat to Children Online, moderated by Ava Smithing (Centre Youth Fellow & Advocacy and Operations Director, Young People’s Alliance).

Professor Fen Osler Hampson. Photo by Dzesika Devic.

On day 2 of #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, Professor Fen Osler Hampson (Carleton University) joined us to talk about public attitudes on digital governance.

#Attention2025

@emilybell.bsky.social explained: we used to think the markets and the first amendment would protect us in America, but Trump has made a choice around media—vertical integration and valuing loyalty to him above all.

#AttnGovernOrBeGoverned #Attention2025

Maria Ressa. Photo by Dzesika Devic.

@mariaressa.bsky.social left us with a reminder that captures the spirit of #AttnGovernOrBeGoverned, "Paralysis will lose us the war. Optimism and hope come from action. When you are worried—act."