Taylor Owen
Feb 242026

AI Chatbots Belong in the Online Harms Act

After OpenAI flagged the Tumbler Ridge shooter's conversations but didn't alert Canadian law enforcement, Helen Hayes and I sent a memo to Ministers Solomon and Miller arguing that AI chatbots must be scoped into the forthcoming Online Harms Act.

Feb 192026

AI Governance Is a Precondition, Not a Constraint

Opening statement before the House Standing Committee on Science and Research on AI, drawing on my submission to the National AI Strategy Task Force.

Feb 182026

AI Agents Got Their Own Social Media Network

Something very weird happened: AI agents got their own social media network. In a bonus episode of Machines Like Us, Derek Ruths and I try to make sense of what this means.

Feb 152026

Gen Z's Future Is Being Shaped by AI — and They Have Something to Say About It

A conversation with Ava Smithing and Sneha Revanur — two of the most influential young voices in tech policy — about AI, democracy, and what their generation sees that the rest of us don't.

Feb 82026

Is China Really Winning the AI Arms Race?

The 'if we don't build it, they will' framing treats the AI race with China as orthodoxy. But I don't think the arms race framing is accurate.

Feb 72026

The Chip at the Center of Everything

The global competition over who designs, manufactures, and controls access to advanced semiconductors may be the most consequential technological story of our time.

Feb 52026

A Temporary Moratorium on Social Media for Kids

Instead of a permanent ban on kids using social media, Helen Hayes and I make the case for a temporary moratorium tied to the establishment of a digital safety regulator.

Feb 52026

Can AI Help Us Live Better Lives?

Not just more productive or efficient lives — genuinely better ones. A conversation with Rutger Bregman about AI and human flourishing.

Feb 22026

Our AI Strategy Task Force Submission on Trust and Safety

Today we are publicly releasing my submission to the National AI Strategy Task Force on the theme of trust and safety. It argues that closing Canada's AI governance gap requires action on three fronts.

Feb 12026

Canadians Don't Trust AI. Here's What To Do About It.

A new survey shows most Canadians don't trust AI — and they especially don't trust the companies building it. This raises a fundamental question for policymakers.

Jan 302026

Canada's Information Crisis

The information landscape in Canada is fracturing. Three major threats to Canadian democracy — and whether we have the tools and the will to respond.

Jan 292026

Why Banning Kids from Social Media Won't Work

Canada is debating whether to ban kids under 14 from social media. That we're even considering such a blunt instrument tells you something important about the last decade of digital governance.

Jan 142026

Four Predictions for AI in 2026

Season 3 of Machines Like Us kicks off with four predictions for how AI will reshape our world in 2026.

Dec 152025

Is the AI Boom Actually a Bubble?

Gary Marcus has been one of the most persistent and vocal critics of the current AI hype cycle. In this conversation, he makes his strongest case yet that we are in an AI bubble.

Nov 112025

The Broligarchy and the Future of Tech Power

The now-famous photo from the Trump inauguration — tech billionaires seated ahead of the cabinet — tells a story about where power resides in America. A conversation with Carole Cadwalladr.

Oct 302025

AI Music Is Everywhere. Is It Legal?

AI can now generate music that sounds like your favourite artists. Ed Newton-Rex — who left Stability AI over this issue — explains why he thinks the entire model is built on theft.

Oct 182025

The Attention Conference in Montreal

Last week Montreal hosted a remarkable gathering of researchers, policymakers, and civil society leaders working on digital governance. A few reflections.

Oct 102025

Influencers Are Dominating Online Politics in the 2025 Federal Election

Our new report on the 2025 federal election finds that political influencers are reshaping how Canadians engage with politics online — and traditional media is losing ground fast.

Oct 72025

Geoffrey Hinton's Warning About AI

One of the founders of deep learning is saying we need to slow down and think carefully about what we're building. We should listen.

Oct 12025

Welcome Anna Jahn as Executive Director

Thrilled to announce that Anna Jahn has joined the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy as Executive Director.

Sep 302025

Three Perspectives on Canada's AI Future

The National AI Strategy Task Force has been announced. Here's why I think the governance conversation needs to be at the centre of Canada's AI strategy.

Sep 282025

Introducing Left to Their Own Devices

Ava Smithing's new documentary podcast about what happens when you hand kids the most powerful technology in history — and then walk away.

Sep 252025

AI and the Loss of the Student Essay

I was writing a reference letter for a former student, and re-reading their incredibly thoughtful essay from my class 5 years ago. It hit me that we will never be able to assign essays like that again.

Sep 232025

AI Is Upending Higher Education

AI is transforming higher education in ways that most institutions are not prepared for. A conversation with Niall Ferguson and Connor Grennan about what comes next.

Jul 222025

Season 1 of Machines Like Us: A Wrap

A look back at 25 conversations from the first season of Machines Like Us, and what comes next.

Jun 42025

Jim Balsillie: Canada's Problem Isn't Trump

For as long as I can remember, Canadians have felt two things about America — and they're deeply in tension. With less than a week before the federal election, I sat down with Jim Balsillie to ask how we might build a stronger, more sovereign Canada.

May 282025

Canada's Information Ecosystem Is Weakening

In 2019, Canada was remarkably resilient to disinformation threats. Fast forward to 2025, and almost everything that gave us resilience is getting much, much worse.

Feb 122025

The AI Vibe-Shift Comes to Europe

Observations from the Paris AI Action Summit on the repositioning of the AI industry, the precarious state of AI governance, and the geopolitical fracture ahead.

Feb 272024

Initial Thoughts on the Online Harms Act

The Online Harms Act has been tabled. My initial read of the new regulator, the three duties, and the transparency requirements.