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Canada excluded from Google's expansion of AI chatbot Bard

Jul 17, 2023 - ctvnews.ca
Google has excluded Canada from the recent expansion of its AI-powered chatbot, Bard, amid ongoing disputes with the Canadian government over the Online News Act. The chatbot, which is now available in over 40 languages and more than 230 countries, was not made available in Canada, China, Russia, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Cuba. Google and Meta, Facebook's parent company, have threatened to block news links from their platforms in response to the Act, which requires tech companies to negotiate compensation deals with media outlets.

The Online News Act, formerly known as Bill C-18, was passed to level the online advertising playing field. It has led to Google and Meta confirming they will remove Canadian news from their platforms and end deals with local publishers. In response, the Canadian government, Quebec government, and some media companies have suspended advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Google has expressed its commitment to work through the regulatory uncertainty in Canada and hopes to bring Bard's AI potential to Canadians soon.

Key takeaways:

  • Google's AI-powered chatbot, Bard, has undergone its biggest expansion yet, but Canada has been excluded from the list of countries where it is available.
  • Google's decision to exclude Canada may be related to ongoing disputes over the federal government's Online News Act, which requires tech companies to negotiate compensation deals with media outlets.
  • Google and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, have threatened to block news links from their platforms in response to the Online News Act.
  • The federal government and some media companies have responded by suspending advertising on Facebook and Instagram.
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