Mark_Surman_delivering_talk_at_Mozilla_All_Hands_2016_at_Hawaii by Psubhashish CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_Surman_delivering_talk_at_Mozilla_All_Hands_2016_at_Hawaii.jpg

Podcasts

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 248: Mark Surman on Why Canada’s AI Strategy Should Prioritize Public AI Models

November 3, 2025

AI Minister Evan Solomon’s AI public consultation – framed as a 30 day sprint – wrapped up last week with expectations that the government will unveil a new AI strategy by the end of the year. Much of the emphasis to date has focused on how Canada can ensure that it is an AI leader with Solomon previously warning about how the government may have “over-indexed” on AI regulation. Mark Surman, the President of Mozilla, has been a leading global voice on digital policy for many years. He has been increasingly vocal about the benefits of public AI as a counter to the big tech leadership. He joins the Law Bytes podcast for a wide ranging discussion on digital policy, the role of open source, and benefits of a public AI model.

The podcast can be downloaded here, accessed on YouTube, and is embedded below. Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Spotify or the RSS feed. Updates on the podcast on X/Twitter at @Lawbytespod.

Credits:

CBC News, AI Minister Denies That Canada Needs to ‘Catch Up’ With Global Industry, October 1, 2025