Canada's Competition Summit 2024: Competition Bureau releases details about panels and expert participants

GATINEAU, QC, Sept. 5, 2024 /CNW/ - On September 16, 2024, the Competition Bureau will host "Canada's Competition Summit 2024: Market Dynamics in the AI Era". Held in Ottawa and virtually, this full-day event will bring together domestic and international competition authorities, regulators, businesses, non-governmental organizations, lawyers and academics to understand and address the economic implications of AI.

It will feature a virtual keynote speech by Lina Khan, Chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

In addition to the keynote, Summit 2024 will include an introductory overview, two panels, a fireside chat, a regulators roundtable and a debate.

Talk: AI and competition 101

Joel Blit, Professor of Economics at the University of Waterloo and Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, will set the tone for the day by providing an overview of AI and its impact on the economy.

Panel 1: The AI Effect – How is AI changing the competition game?

The opening panel will explore AI's impact on competitive dynamics in the marketplace.

Moderator:

• The Honourable Colin Deacon, Independent Senator, Senate of Canada

Panelists:

• Dr. Jennifer Quaid, Associate Professor, University of Ottawa
• Dr. Robert Clark, Professor, Queen's University
• Dr. Robin Shaban, Associate Partner, Deetken Insight
• Benjamin Bergen, President, Council of Canadian Innovators

Fireside chat: The rise of AI – Risks for consumers

This fireside chat will focus on some of the current and potential future risks of AI for consumers.

Moderator:

• Vasiliki "Vass" Bednar, Executive Director, Master of Public Policy Program at McMaster University

Speaker:

• Siddharth Hiregowdara, Co-founder, CivAI

Keynote address

• Lina Khan, Chairperson, Federal Trade Commission

Canadian Regulators Roundtable: A whole-of-government approach to digital markets

This roundtable will explore how competition intersects with privacy, telecommunications and cultural considerations.

Moderator:

• Alexandra Posadzki, Reporter, The Globe and Mail

Participants:

• Matthew Boswell, Commissioner of Competition, Competition Bureau of Canada
• Philippe Dufresne, Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
• Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
• Drew Olsen, Vice-Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Copyright Board of Canada

Panel 2: International approaches to competition and AI

Panelists will discuss the role of competition authorities in their respective markets in addressing AI.

Moderator:

• Ellen Creighton, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, International Affairs Directorate, Competition Bureau of Canada

Panelists:

• Carlota Reyners Fontana, Director, Directorate-General for Competition, Markets and cases II: Information Technology, Communication and Media, European Commission
• Carlos García Cueva, General Director of Market Intelligence, Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE)
• Ori Schwartz, Head of Competition Division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• A representative of the United States Department of Justice

Debate: Yea or Nay – Can Big Tech be trusted with AI?

Two teams will square off to debate whether or not big tech companies can be trusted with managing the use of AI.

Moderator:

• Majid Charania, Director of Compliance, Competition Bureau of Canada

Debaters:

• Brianna Workman, Law Student, University of Ottawa
• Keldon Bester, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project (CAMP)
• Umang Khandelwal, Associate, Davies Ward Philips & Vineberg LLP
• Makaila Kelly, Law Student, Lincoln Alexander School of Law

Quick facts

• The Competition Bureau continues its work to better understand AI, how it might affect competition, how to address its potential competitive harms, and how to promote competition in AI markets. 
• Summit 2024 is the fifth annual summit hosted by the Bureau. The summits aim to expand the Bureau's knowledge, hear from experts and keep the Bureau at the forefront of issues in the Canadian economy.
• The Bureau's previous summits focused on:
  • how competition considerations can be factored into policy development across all levels of Canadian government;
  • the role of competition in the transition to a greener economy;
  • how competitive markets can play a role in driving economic growth following the COVID-19 pandemic; and
  • best practices and tools that can be used to enforce competition in the digital era. 
• In March 2024, the Bureau also published a discussion paper on artificial intelligence (AI) and competition for public consultation. The consultation closed on July 7, 2024.

Related products

• Canada's Competition Summit
• Competition Bureau to host summit on competition and artificial intelligence this September

Associated links

• Exploring policy approaches to unlock competition (2023)
• The Competition and Green Growth Summit (2022)
• The Competition and Growth Summit (2021)
• Digital Enforcement Summit (2020)
• Artificial intelligence and competition: Discussion paper (2024)

General information:

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The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses. Competition drives lower prices and innovation while fueling economic growth.

SOURCE Competition Bureau

Contacts: Media inquiries: Media Relations, Email: [email protected]