Robert Diab
@robertdiab.bsky.social
Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers, writing about AI and online freedoms.
https://robertdiab.substack.com | publications at www.robertdiab.ca
https://robertdiab.substack.com | publications at www.robertdiab.ca
Should law students use AI to summarize cases, draft outlines, or edit writing?
I explore 10 ways students are using AI in law schools worldwide, and the key challenge of avoiding over-reliance.
www.slaw.ca/2025/11/10/h...
I explore 10 ways students are using AI in law schools worldwide, and the key challenge of avoiding over-reliance.
www.slaw.ca/2025/11/10/h...
How Profs and Students Are Using AI in Law Schools Around the World - Slaw
Law schools everywhere are confronting the same issue: how to use AI to help rather than hinder student learning. In an earlier column, I speculated on ways we might help law students foster good over...
www.slaw.ca
November 10, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Should law students use AI to summarize cases, draft outlines, or edit writing?
I explore 10 ways students are using AI in law schools worldwide, and the key challenge of avoiding over-reliance.
www.slaw.ca/2025/11/10/h...
I explore 10 ways students are using AI in law schools worldwide, and the key challenge of avoiding over-reliance.
www.slaw.ca/2025/11/10/h...
Looking forward to it as well. Glad it's finally happening!
I am looking forward to this amazing technology / privacy / AI law conference, hosted at the Schulich School of Law in Halifax. Check out the list of great speakers. www.eventbrite.ca/e/canadian-t...
October 31, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Looking forward to it as well. Glad it's finally happening!
Do police and CSIS need new “lawful intercept” powers to keep up with technology?
Parliament says yes. But in a new declassified report meant to justify Bill C-2, it offers little hard data to back this up.
Parliament says yes. But in a new declassified report meant to justify Bill C-2, it offers little hard data to back this up.
October 26, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Do police and CSIS need new “lawful intercept” powers to keep up with technology?
Parliament says yes. But in a new declassified report meant to justify Bill C-2, it offers little hard data to back this up.
Parliament says yes. But in a new declassified report meant to justify Bill C-2, it offers little hard data to back this up.
Do CSIS and police really need new “lawful intercept” powers?
Parliament says yes — but the evidence is thin.
Why a new declassified report making the case for Bill C-2 doesn’t hold up.
robertdiab.substack.com/p/do-csis-an...
Parliament says yes — but the evidence is thin.
Why a new declassified report making the case for Bill C-2 doesn’t hold up.
robertdiab.substack.com/p/do-csis-an...
Do CSIS and Police Really Need More ‘Lawful Intercept’ Powers?
A new report makes Parliament’s case for Bill C-2 — and why it falls short
robertdiab.substack.com
October 25, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Do CSIS and police really need new “lawful intercept” powers?
Parliament says yes — but the evidence is thin.
Why a new declassified report making the case for Bill C-2 doesn’t hold up.
robertdiab.substack.com/p/do-csis-an...
Parliament says yes — but the evidence is thin.
Why a new declassified report making the case for Bill C-2 doesn’t hold up.
robertdiab.substack.com/p/do-csis-an...
Reposted by Robert Diab
Video generating #AI like #Sora2 highlight the technology's voracious thirst for energy and water, costs that must be transparent if growth is to be sustainable, argues @robertdiab.bsky.social
theconversation.com/openais-newl... #sustainability
theconversation.com/openais-newl... #sustainability
OpenAI’s newly launched Sora 2 makes AI’s environmental impact impossible to ignore
As AI shifts from text to video, its appetite for power and water soars, presenting a climate-policy issue.
theconversation.com
October 15, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Video generating #AI like #Sora2 highlight the technology's voracious thirst for energy and water, costs that must be transparent if growth is to be sustainable, argues @robertdiab.bsky.social
theconversation.com/openais-newl... #sustainability
theconversation.com/openais-newl... #sustainability
OpenAI’s new Sora 2 can turn text into lifelike video, but at what environmental cost? As AI moves from words to video, its power and water demands are set to soar.
My latest for The Conversation/Substack asks how sustainable the next AI leap really is.
robertdiab.substack.com/p/openais-ne...
My latest for The Conversation/Substack asks how sustainable the next AI leap really is.
robertdiab.substack.com/p/openais-ne...
OpenAI’s newly launched Sora 2 makes AI’s environmental impact impossible to ignore
Debate is focused on misinformation, but AI's footprint — in energy and water — may prove the more urgent challenge for regulators.
robertdiab.substack.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:55 PM
OpenAI’s new Sora 2 can turn text into lifelike video, but at what environmental cost? As AI moves from words to video, its power and water demands are set to soar.
My latest for The Conversation/Substack asks how sustainable the next AI leap really is.
robertdiab.substack.com/p/openais-ne...
My latest for The Conversation/Substack asks how sustainable the next AI leap really is.
robertdiab.substack.com/p/openais-ne...
Reposted by Robert Diab
Publishers are suing Google over AI Overviews, claiming traffic losses. But as Robert Diab argues: “The attempt to rely on copyright and antitrust law is really an indirect attempt to assert what can’t be claimed directly: a property right in clicks.”
Why Lawsuits Over AI Summaries Will Fail: There is No Right to Traffic | TechPolicy.Press
Robert Diab makes the case that lawsuits over Google’s AI Overviews won’t create a “right to traffic."
www.techpolicy.press
October 9, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Publishers are suing Google over AI Overviews, claiming traffic losses. But as Robert Diab argues: “The attempt to rely on copyright and antitrust law is really an indirect attempt to assert what can’t be claimed directly: a property right in clicks.”
Which is not to say that some of those controversial provisions might not return in a separate bill. But not if no other party is on board…
David, thanks for being the first to post. The new bill is now out. Most of the criminal stuff and — more crucially — the lawful access regime (the SAAIA) is gone.
Money laundering, sex offender provisions still there, but no "information demand"; no subscriber ID on lower grounds.
A big sigh...
Money laundering, sex offender provisions still there, but no "information demand"; no subscriber ID on lower grounds.
A big sigh...
Here it is (or will be - text not yet available) www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en...
October 8, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Which is not to say that some of those controversial provisions might not return in a separate bill. But not if no other party is on board…
David, thanks for being the first to post. The new bill is now out. Most of the criminal stuff and — more crucially — the lawful access regime (the SAAIA) is gone.
Money laundering, sex offender provisions still there, but no "information demand"; no subscriber ID on lower grounds.
A big sigh...
Money laundering, sex offender provisions still there, but no "information demand"; no subscriber ID on lower grounds.
A big sigh...
Here it is (or will be - text not yet available) www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en...
October 8, 2025 at 10:06 PM
David, thanks for being the first to post. The new bill is now out. Most of the criminal stuff and — more crucially — the lawful access regime (the SAAIA) is gone.
Money laundering, sex offender provisions still there, but no "information demand"; no subscriber ID on lower grounds.
A big sigh...
Money laundering, sex offender provisions still there, but no "information demand"; no subscriber ID on lower grounds.
A big sigh...
Thank you to @karanicolas.bsky.social for alerting me to this: Liberals backtracking on C-2, tabling a revised bill this week... www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Government to table new border bill amid privacy concerns over C-2: sources | CBC News
The federal Liberals are set to introduce a new bill expected to mirror much of what's in their already tabled border legislation — but with some clauses that sparked concerns from opposition parties ...
www.cbc.ca
October 7, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Thank you to @karanicolas.bsky.social for alerting me to this: Liberals backtracking on C-2, tabling a revised bill this week... www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Happy to see this -- now all opposition parties opposed to new search powers in C-2. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Conservatives won't support Liberal border bill without major changes: Pierre Poilievre | CBC News
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the federal Liberals must either heavily amend their border bill or introduce a new piece of proposed legislation if they want support to pass it into law.
www.cbc.ca
October 5, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Happy to see this -- now all opposition parties opposed to new search powers in C-2. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Trying out Perplexity's Comet browser, made free to all users yesterday. Had been using Arc's Dia browser. Found that enormously useful. P's Comet so far faster, more functional. Will write about it shortly... Here's a table comparing the two...
October 4, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Trying out Perplexity's Comet browser, made free to all users yesterday. Had been using Arc's Dia browser. Found that enormously useful. P's Comet so far faster, more functional. Will write about it shortly... Here's a table comparing the two...
BC Court of Appeal turns down doctors' class action against RateMDs — no privacy in names and contact info, no commercial exploitation of docs' identities. canlii.ca/t/kfhmc
September 27, 2025 at 8:46 PM
BC Court of Appeal turns down doctors' class action against RateMDs — no privacy in names and contact info, no commercial exploitation of docs' identities. canlii.ca/t/kfhmc
Early impressions of Canada’s new hate crime bill (C-9): @richardmoon.bsky.social: flag waving offence may be redundant; the CCF, it may chill speech. Here’s my take:
robertdiab.substack.com/p/will-canad...
robertdiab.substack.com/p/will-canad...
Will Canada’s new hate crime bill impact free speech online?
What Bill C-9 adds to our hate speech laws — and whether it fills a real gap
robertdiab.substack.com
September 26, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Early impressions of Canada’s new hate crime bill (C-9): @richardmoon.bsky.social: flag waving offence may be redundant; the CCF, it may chill speech. Here’s my take:
robertdiab.substack.com/p/will-canad...
robertdiab.substack.com/p/will-canad...
Will new hate speech offences in Bill C-9 impact speech online? Will they fill real gaps in the law? I put them in context here…
robertdiab.substack.com/p/will-canad...
robertdiab.substack.com/p/will-canad...
Will Canada’s new hate crime bill impact free speech online?
What Bill C-9 adds to our hate speech laws — and whether it fills a real gap
robertdiab.substack.com
September 26, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Will new hate speech offences in Bill C-9 impact speech online? Will they fill real gaps in the law? I put them in context here…
robertdiab.substack.com/p/will-canad...
robertdiab.substack.com/p/will-canad...
No shortage of hype around AI and productivity. But in my own work, the gains have started to feel tangible. Not incremental, but structural, like moving from typewriter to word processor. I unpack this shift in National Magazine:
www.nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
www.nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
How AI has made me more productive
From faster research to sharper drafts, here’s how AI is changing the way legal writing gets done
www.nationalmagazine.ca
September 22, 2025 at 8:18 PM
No shortage of hype around AI and productivity. But in my own work, the gains have started to feel tangible. Not incremental, but structural, like moving from typewriter to word processor. I unpack this shift in National Magazine:
www.nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
www.nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
What photography did to painting, AI may now be doing to writing. Does this mark the death of authorship, or its reinvention? robertdiab.substack.com/p/authorship...
Authorship after AI
What the birth of photography reveals about writing with AI
robertdiab.substack.com
September 19, 2025 at 2:30 PM
What photography did to painting, AI may now be doing to writing. Does this mark the death of authorship, or its reinvention? robertdiab.substack.com/p/authorship...
Just spoke with Ian Hanomansing on the CBC about Bill C-2, trying to convey in a short space some of the many privacy concerns with it. www.cbc.ca/player/play/...
CBC Ian Hanomansing speaks to Robert Diab, Law professor at Thompson Rivers University
Get the latest on CBCNews.ca, the CBC News App, and CBC News Network for breaking news and analysis.
www.cbc.ca
September 16, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Just spoke with Ian Hanomansing on the CBC about Bill C-2, trying to convey in a short space some of the many privacy concerns with it. www.cbc.ca/player/play/...
Reposted by Robert Diab
The latest issue (vol 58 no 2) of the UBC Law Review is now available on CanLII! With contributions from Jon Festinger, Céline Castets-Renard, Robert Diab, Bradley Henderson, Katie Szilagyi, Peter Wills, Isabelle St-Hilaire, David Cohen + Matthew Peters. #ai #techlaw #legalcommentary zurl.co/DKCqY
August 21, 2025 at 8:08 PM
The latest issue (vol 58 no 2) of the UBC Law Review is now available on CanLII! With contributions from Jon Festinger, Céline Castets-Renard, Robert Diab, Bradley Henderson, Katie Szilagyi, Peter Wills, Isabelle St-Hilaire, David Cohen + Matthew Peters. #ai #techlaw #legalcommentary zurl.co/DKCqY
What happens when AI leads to self-harm or criminality? Could lawsuits unfolding in the U.S. be brought here in Canada? robertdiab.substack.com/p/when-ai-tu...
When AI Turns Deadly: Are Model Makers Responsible?
The limits of liability in Canada
robertdiab.substack.com
August 30, 2025 at 2:12 PM
What happens when AI leads to self-harm or criminality? Could lawsuits unfolding in the U.S. be brought here in Canada? robertdiab.substack.com/p/when-ai-tu...
"Google has declined to implement the Commissioner’s recommendation"... The Commissioner is "considering all available options"...
OPC finds there is a limited “right to deletion” from search results under PIPEDA. Requires Google to de-list several articles when “there is a significant risk of harm that outweighs the public interest in that information remaining accessible through such a search.”
www.priv.gc.ca/en/opc-news/...
www.priv.gc.ca/en/opc-news/...
News release: Privacy Commissioner finds that Canadians have a right to have information de-listed from online search engine results in limited circumstances - Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
The investigation, resulting from a complaint against Google, found that the company had violated Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
www.priv.gc.ca
August 27, 2025 at 2:50 PM
"Google has declined to implement the Commissioner’s recommendation"... The Commissioner is "considering all available options"...
Thanks David!
Anyone interested in smart, insightful analysis of #BillC2 #LawfulAccess measures really should check out "The Missing Manual" by @robertdiab.bsky.social robertdiab.substack.com/p/bill-c-2-b...
Bill C-2 Backgrounder - the missing manual!
Just in time for the beach
robertdiab.substack.com
July 24, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Thanks David!
Bill C-2 Backgrounder — the missing manual! t.co/y2ORIYSoHI
July 24, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Bill C-2 Backgrounder — the missing manual! t.co/y2ORIYSoHI
Reposted by Robert Diab
The CBA's National Magazine has a good article on #BillC2, including comments from me, @mgeist.bsky.social, @robertdiab.bsky.social and @citizenlab.ca
www.nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
www.nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
A big brother bill
Experts say Bill C-2 lowers the bar and broadens the scope to allow more access by police and intelligence agents to Canadians’ private data
www.nationalmagazine.ca
July 22, 2025 at 12:07 PM
The CBA's National Magazine has a good article on #BillC2, including comments from me, @mgeist.bsky.social, @robertdiab.bsky.social and @citizenlab.ca
www.nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
www.nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
A closer look at the new lawful access act in bill c-2 for CIGI... www.cigionline.org/articles/can...
Canada’s Lawful Access Bill: Heavy on Secrecy, Light on Accountability
Following Australia, Canada takes a middle path between the more and less coercive approaches of Britain and the United States — but with fewer safeguards.
www.cigionline.org
July 15, 2025 at 4:08 PM
A closer look at the new lawful access act in bill c-2 for CIGI... www.cigionline.org/articles/can...