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Saad Hammadi

@saadhammadi.bsky.social
147 followers 153 following 152 posts

BSIA Fellow Manager, Policy and Advocacy at Balsillie School of International Affairs Managing Editor, BalsilliePapers.ca and BalsillieCases.ca Interviews and Comms: shammadi@gmail.com Profile: balsillieschool.ca/people/saad-hamm…

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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
How do middle powers balance digital sovereignty with tech dependencies? 🇫🇷🇨🇦 In the new Balsillie Case Study, @iguardans.bsky.social examines France’s choice to pull health data off Azure, offering key lessons on cloud migration & risk for Canada balsilliecases.ca/case-study/a... #TechPolicy #Canada
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Thoughts worth reflection about AI, government regulations, risk of bad actors, risk of negligent harm, and the risk of AI itself taking over and the debates surrounding it. Hear them out from Geoffrey Hinton! youtube.com/watch?v=u6uR...
youtube.com
'Godfather' of AI reacts to AI CEOs' UN warnings
YouTube video by CNN
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"At last! I am so very happy to see a British government finally doing the right thing and taking a strong stance … no longer a bystander wringing their hands.” @emilythornberry.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
UK accuses Israeli ‘terrorists’ of ethnic cleansing in West Bank with government backing
Ed Miliband announces sanctions on trade with settlers as PM says in the Guardian it is time to act
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
After Sri Lanka in 2022, Bangladesh in 2024, Nepal in 2025, South Asia's Gen Z is on a roll to fight back against authoritarianism in India. @amnesty.org's statement here is a quick read of what is happening in India. www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...
amnesty.org
India: Crackdown on peaceful protesters in New Delhi raises serious human rights concerns
Responding to the crackdown on protestors in New Delhi demanding accountability in the Indian education system, Aakar Patel, Amnesty International India’s Chair of Board, said, “The images and reports...
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Marketers who spent years becoming experts in SEO, or search engine optimization, are now investing their time and money on generative engine optimization (GEO), a term that didn’t exist until two years ago. Careful about information you trust. www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/daea8e4...
theglobeandmail.com
As AI upends shopping, retailers tailor their pitches for chatbots
Marketers are shifting from search engines to chatbots, aiming to get brands recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Here's @theguardian.com explanation of why the ceasefire fails to hold every time. In short, big egomaniacs mistaking ceasefire and diplomatic negotiations for military victories, and goofing up every opportunity to end the suffering of people everywhere. www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has accused Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to “inflict the same level of damage and destruction” on Lebanon as Israeli forces had wrought on Gaza. www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
How to cover up defeat of a misjudged power with pompous and high sounding words as the world braces for its worst oil crisis since 1970s and recession fears. My reading of this critical report of the hour by Jason Burke in @theguardian.com. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
theguardian.com
Trump extends Iran deadline by five days and claims ‘productive’ talks
US president delays threat against energy infrastructure after Iran’s threats of retaliation, while Iran denies any talks
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
UK security adviser Jonathan Powell thought Tehran’s ‘surprising’ offer on its nuclear programme could prevent rush to war, reports the Guardian. But clearly some warmongering leaders had other ulterior motives. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
theguardian.com
UK security adviser ‘attended’ US-Iran talks and judged deal was within reach
Exclusive: Jonathan Powell thought Tehran’s ‘surprising’ offer on its nuclear programme could prevent rush to war, sources say
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Former Liberal cabinet minister Lloyd Axworthy criticised Ottawa's support of the strikes in Iran and contrasted with how Canada in 2003 refused to support the U.S. invasion of Iraq because it was not authorized by a UN Security Council resolution. www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/daea8e4...
theglobeandmail.com
Carney says Ottawa’s position supporting U.S., Israeli strikes on Iran was taken ‘with regret’
But the U.S. and Israel have acted without engaging the UN or allies, leaving the question of where things will go from here, the Prime Minister said
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Canada’s PM says US-Israeli strikes on #Iran appear ‘inconsistent with international law’
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
From my former colleague, a veteran journalist and one of the finest security and war correspondent Jason Burke Middle East war could be decided by who runs out of missiles or interceptors first, analysts say www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
theguardian.com
Middle East war could be decided by who runs out of missiles or interceptors first, analysts say
Stockpiles of the most advanced US-made weapons are limited – while few know how large Iran’s arsenal is
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
The US-Israeli attack on Iran is an illegal act of aggression. There is no lawful justification for it. No different from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or Rwanda’s invasion of the Democratic Republic of Congo. www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
theguardian.com
US-Israel war on Iran live: conflict spreads to Lebanon and wider region, as Kuwait reports ‘several’ US warplanes crashing
Israeli military says fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah could take ‘many’ more days; US crew bailed out safely after crash-landing, says Kuwait
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
An excellent outlook on Bangladesh ahead of its national elections due in a few days and how the country is leaning towards a multipolar world order based on transactional partnerships breaking away from the Western dominated world order. By Syed Tashfin Chowdhury www.trtworld.com/article/9d51...
trtworld.com
TRT World - How Bangladesh’s first post-Hasina election is being watched beyond the West
As Dhaka heads to the polls, China, India, Türkiye and Gulf states are recalibrating ties with Bangladesh, underscoring a shift towards transactional Global South partnerships and away from Western po...
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Balsillie School @balsillieschool.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
The BEI OnDemand modules in Digital Policy Innovation are now 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄. balsillieinstitute.ca/on-demand-mo...
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Amnesty International @amnesty.org s’inquiète des violations des droits humains suite à l’intervention militaire américaine au #Venezuela 🇻🇪 www.amnesty.org/fr/latest/ne...
amnesty.org
Amnesty International s'inquiète des violations des droits humains suite à l'intervention militaire américaine au Venezuela
L'intervention militaire menée aujourd'hui par l'administration Trump au Venezuela, qui a conduit à la capture de Nicolás Maduro et Cilia Flores, soulève de graves préoccupations quant au respect des ...
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
"We’re out here to show solidarity with a country whose sovereignty and self determination has been violated by our government using our tax dollars," Taylor Young, a protester in Seattle. Protests in US cities over Trump’s military intervention in #Venezuela 🇻🇪 www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
theguardian.com
Protests in US cities over Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela
Hundreds gathered coast to coast, even as many in the diaspora celebrated ousting of Maduro
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Is it a resource problem or intent? Must be a very difficult question to answer. 5/5
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
How under the watch of an administration that is aware of the many political and vicious elements that are at play now and will be in the coming days, failed to save the institutions, fails me. The optics of threat perception didn't seem too hazy to me. 4/5
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Many of my former colleagues, friends and my editor Nurul Kabir, whose leadership helped clear the fog and exposed the facade of the various political pursuits at play at any given time, showed the paths that our political leaders should follow instead, were attacked, institutions were burnt. 3/5
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Some of the country's biggest bigots on YouTube have fueled the fire on the country's biggest cultural and intellectual institutions. 2/5
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
There are more than one group that gains from the pain #Bangladesh is in. The ousted and a big neighbouring state that have all been slamming the country, its government and the people. Then the ultra right whose political agenda is very different from Bangladesh's mainstream media. 1/5
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
Inviting Canadian technology stakeholders to participate in this survey to: 🔹 Shape the national technology agenda as thought leaders. 🔹 Enrich empirical data with insights. 🔹 Be part of @BalsillieSIA's wider advocacy network. Access the survey here: wlu.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Behind the Gen Z uprising is an entrenched frustration over poor leadership and governance. The future can be uncertain but what the youth have lived over the last two decades is not something they wish to live in. youtube.com/shorts/mXtD-...
youtube.com
South and Southeast Asia's Gen Z rages against the political elite and corruption
YouTube video by The Newsmakers
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
Human rights should be at the centre and heart of policies that governments define and not repeat the violations that youth have aspired to walk away from. I spoke about the Gen Z uprising in Asia with Andrea Sanke in TRTWorld. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya8Q...
youtube.com
Nepo Babies, corruption & inequality: Asia's Gen Z rises up against the elite
YouTube video by The Newsmakers
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
Enjoyed the #snowbirds performing at the Canadian International Air Show 2025 up close.
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
Heartbroken by the loss of lives of children at a school this afternoon in Dhaka after a training jet of #BangladeshAirForce crashed. Thinking of the children, the families living through this horror, and those tirelessly supporting the treatment efforts. www.thedailystar.net/news/banglad...
thedailystar.net
How things unfolded inside Uttara Adhunik Hospital after the jet crash
Between 2:30pm and 4:30pm, a charred body of a child and more than 100 injured victims were rushed to Uttara Adhunik Hospital
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Amidst geopolitical challenges and desire to align with allies, Canada's role in the global regulation of military AI hangs in the balance. @brankamarijan.bsky.social discusses in this Balsillie Case Study the legal and ethical aspects in the military AI governance. balsilliecases.ca/case-study/a...
balsilliecases.ca
A Juggling Act: Canada’s Role in the Global Regulation of Responsible Military AI
Amidst continued geopolitical challenges and the desire to align with allies, Canada recognizes that its role in the global regulation of military AI hangs in the balance.. Case study by Branka Marija...
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 08/07/2025
The anxiety that some Bangladeshi students experience abroad isn't isolated. A brilliant and a niche piece by the eloquent writer and a comms professional Syed Tashfin Chowdhury about the psychosocial support that not many people talk about. www.thedailystar.net/opinion/view...
thedailystar.net
The untold stories behind student deaths abroad
This week, a Bangladeshi student was found dead in an apartment in Japan
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Reposted by Saad Hammadi
Amnesty International @amnesty.org · 18/06/2025
Urgent need to protect civilians amid unprecedented escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran 👇 www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...
amnesty.org
Urgent need to protect civilians amid unprecedented escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran
As more and more civilians bear the cruel toll of the terrifying military escalation in Iran and Israel since 13 June 2025, and amid threats of further escalation in the conflict, Amnesty Internationa...
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Ana Brandusescu @anabrandusescu.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
New publication alert! The Challenges of Accountability in AI for Immigration: The IRCC and Canadian AI Governance balsilliecases.ca/case-study/t...
web page of case study The Challenges of Accountability in AI for Immigration: The IRCC and Canadian AI Governance and its abstract
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 14/06/2025
I'm delighted to be elected Director at @amnesty.ca Board of Directors. It is an honor, privilege and a great opportunity to serve in the cause of human rights and give back to the movement.
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Alex Neve @alexneve.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
In our Open Letter to @MarkJCarney @AnitaAnandMP, 412 legal, human rights, diplomatic, international affairs, social justice, civil society, faith & labour leaders & experts make it clear: Canada must act to end genocide in #Gaza. 🧵1/10
alexneve.ca
Prime Minister Carney must take decisive action to end genocide in Gaza — Alex Neve: Moving Rights Along
We write because of the catastrophic human rights and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, now into its twentieth month, which is broadly understood by international law experts and leading human rights organ...
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Balsillie School @balsillieschool.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
In the latest Balsillie Case Study, authors Karen Yeates and Taim Saeed present a multi-faceted challenge of balancing technological innovation with ethical responsibility. Access the case study here: balsilliecases.ca/case-study/c...
balsilliecases.ca
Consent or Compromise? The Hidden Costs of AI in Cervical Cancer Screening
In an era when AI holds a seemingly endless horizon of potential, is the race to develop it leading us to deprioritize the security of those systems and the rights of the patients within them? Case St...
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Reposted by Saad Hammadi
Balsillie School @balsillieschool.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
In an Op-Ed for The Daily Star on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, BSIA Fellow Saad Hammadi (@saadhammadi.bsky.social) discusses why a systematic approach to combating disinformation is critical to reinforce confidence in journalism. www.thedailystar.net/opinion/view...
thedailystar.net
Combating disinformation is key to restoring trust in journalism
Press freedom must be protected from the concerted disinformation patronised by some platforms and actors.
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
The dissemination of news has never been faster and more multi-modal than it is today. The content and reliability of news have also never been this questionable. My latest on the occasion of #WorldPressFreedomDay www.thedailystar.net/opinion/view...
thedailystar.net
Combating disinformation is key to restoring trust in journalism
Press freedom must be protected from the concerted disinformation patronised by some platforms and actors.
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
"We are going to build. Build, baby, build!" - Canada's PM-elect @mark-carney.bsky.social. The resilience in the humor offsetting his neighbouring counterpart.
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Pleased to share this compelling Balsillie Case Study by Amnesty International's Head of Big Tech Accountability @patdebrun.bsky.social about Big Tech's accountability gap by examining Facebook's role in Rohingya atrocities balsilliecases.ca/case-study/f...
balsilliecases.ca
Facebook’s Role in Rohingya Atrocities Underlines Big Tech’s Accountability Gap
With access to justice for survivors of tech harms apparently blocked in the United States, what paths toward accountability and remedy remain? Case Study by Pat de Brún.
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Canada’s over-reliance on research and development (R&D) spending and patent counts has failed to translate into commercial success. Canada ranks among the highest in public R&D investment but among the lowest in innovation outcomes. | By Andrew Maxwell theconversation.com/canada-is-la...
theconversation.com
Canada is lagging in innovation, and that’s a problem for funding the programs we care about
If Canadians want to fund education, health care and climate adaptation, Canada must grow its economy. And to do that, it needs smarter innovation policy.
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Balsillie School @balsillieschool.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
In the latest Balsillie Paper, BSIA Fellows Alan Whiteside and Warren Parker discuss the ramifications that the US aid cut has on HIV response globally and argue that this is a wakeup call to move beyond dominant siloed approaches. balsilliepapers.ca/bsia-paper/h...
balsilliepapers.ca
HIV and the Volatile New World Order: From Declining Pandemic to One Crisis among Many - Balsillie Papers
Warren Parker and Alan WhitesideIn the initial months of the second Trump administration, abrupt policy shifts placed the lives of millions of people living with HIV at risk and significantly weakened...
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
An incredibly resourceful session on combating disinformation this evening at the @balsillieschool.bsky.social dissecting real events, the EU measures with the Digital Services Act and lessons for Canada. @marcuskolga.bsky.social @abridgman.bsky.social @annfitzgerald.bsky.social
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
Counterintelligence for civil society! An excellent tribute to @citizenlab.ca and @rondeibert.bsky.social by former Balsillie Scholar Matt Malone. The piece is also quite telling about governments and intel agencies' lack of transparency in the way they operate. www.cigionline.org/articles/the...
cigionline.org
The Citizen Lab’s Brave Fight Against Spyware
Ron Deibert, director of the Citizen Lab, has drawn attention to human rights abuses in digital realms and worked to make the online world safer for all.
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
Wishing all those celebrating Eid, a warm Eid Mubarak!
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
An incredibly well written critique of Ken Roth's book by @omarwaraich.bsky.social and his colleague, comparing Roth's views of human rights with the changing realities that challenge human rights, justice and rules based international order like never before. foreignpolicy.com/2025/03/14/h...
foreignpolicy.com
Do Human Rights Have a Future?
The strategies that once guided advocacy are no longer adequate in a world led by strongmen.
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
Overnight the social media is filled with Studio Ghibli like art. 🔹What happens with the photos being deposited with ChatGPT, are they also not being used to train the LLM? What are the security and privacy implications? 🔹Isn't it infringement of Ghibli's art-tech IP?
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
Restrictions imposed by manufacturers on the right to repair of IoT products have serious implications on end users as well as the Canadian economy. New Balsillie Case Study by @ntusikov.bsky.social imparts critical knowledge on law, technology and right to repair. balsilliecases.ca/case-study/t...
balsilliecases.ca
The Right to Repair in Canada: Advantages and Pitfalls
Despite Canada’s recent progress on right to repair laws, this case study argues that the questions of who has the right to repair and under what conditions remain core concerns. Case Study by Natasha...
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
For all the frustrations over international legal systems falling short of enforcement, this is terrific news. This is about justice finally taking its course. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...
theguardian.com
Duterte flown to The Hague after arrest over Philippines drug war killings
Ex-president to face charges of crimes against humanity over ‘war on drugs’ that rights groups say left 30,000 dead
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Canada's AI investment focuses on compute infrastructure. Meanwhile, little to no funding is allocated to fostering AI adoption or literacy. That’s like building libraries while neglecting to teach Canadians how to read. By @joelblit.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
theglobeandmail.com
Opinion: DeepSeek just changed the AI Game — but is Canada even playing?
The real economic impact of artificial intelligence will come from how businesses apply it, not from who builds the models
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Saad Hammadi @saadhammadi.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
By my colleagues @annfitzgerald.bsky.social and @ciuriakd.bsky.social: The US policies and geopolitics at waging trade wars and forging ties with Russia, although stem from a longstanding effort to contain China, has implications for Canada and its allies. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
theglobeandmail.com
Opinion: There is a method to Donald Trump’s madness
Canada must look beyond the rhetoric in responding to U.S. policy shifts
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Balsillie School @balsillieschool.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
In the latest Balsillie Paper, BSIA PhD student Fatmanur Delioglu discusses the increasing use of surveillance technologies at the EU borders and their impact on migrants and migration governance. balsilliepapers.ca/bsia-paper/t...
balsilliepapers.ca
Technology at the Borders: Surveillance, Control and Resistance in EU Migration Governance - Balsillie Papers
Fatmanur DeliogluThis paper examines the integration of advanced surveillance technologies in the European Union, the multiple uses of technologies, and their impact on migrants and migration manageme...
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