Robert Diab

Will AI soon become so good that even pieces in the New Yorker or Atlantic might be synthetic? Will we soon confront a 'textual singularity' -- a takeover by automated text? I weigh the evidence here... newsweek.com/ai-about-repla…

Another fantastic and spot-on accurate review of "#AI for Communication" @routledgebooks This one was written by @robertdiab for the @NatComm journal "Critical Studies in Media Communication." doi.org/10.1080/152950…

Lawful access is back with major concerns on access to subscriber information, metadata retention, and network surveillance. Two of Canada’s leading experts - @privacylawyer and @robertdiab - join Law Bytes podcast for a roundtable discussion on Bill C-22. x.com/mgeist/status/…

Would it matter to you if your cellphone provider were forced to preserve information about where and when you used your phone, and who you were in touch with, for possible use by police? Why I think this new power in Bill C-22 violates the Charter: robertdiab.ca/posts/metadata…

Lawful access is back with Bill C-22 this week. Some concerns have been addressed, but many remain — along with some new ones. I wrote an overview of what C-22 fixes and what it doesn’t. I'm not sure all of it will withstand a Charter challenge. robertdiab.ca/posts/bill-c22/

My review of @David_Gunkel's new book "AI for Communication" just out in CSMC -- short version: it strikes a fine balance between substance and concision. tandfonline.com/eprint/8CDKUI8…

@LuizaJarovsky @hartzog @JSilbey For a sober second opinion: robertdiab.ca/posts/ai-alarm…

🚨 Last week, I sat with Profs. @hartzog and @JSilbey to discuss their excellent new paper, "How AI Destroys Institutions." The paper has been downloaded 30,000+ times, and it discusses some of AI's most important negative consequences. Watch our 56-minute conversation below:

How we can tell you’re using AI and why it matters theglobeandmail.com/opinion/articl…

In a new post, I respond to @hartzog and @JSilbey — AI presents serious challenges for our civic institutions, but not a mortal threat. We still have agency here, and governance matters. robertdiab.substack.com/p/is-ai-really…

A law paper has gone viral arguing that AI is destined to destroy democracy, the rule of law, education, and the press. The authors identify real dangers, but they press them so far, and with such certainty, that nuance is lost.

Canada is criminalizing sexual deepfakes and sextortion, but it likely won’t be enough. In a new post, I look at how prevalent this conduct is in Canada and why regulating AI tools and platforms may matter more. robertdiab.substack.com/p/sexual-deepf…

“OpenAI reports that roughly half of the queries people run on ChatGPT now involve search. But the revolution in search that AI summaries have brought about is making a substantial dent in traffic to sites on the web. [...] More of our online information gathering is beginning and ending with AI. And web publishers are up in arms about it.” @robertdiab on the new era of AI summaries, and what they mean for the very structure of the Internet: cigionline.org/articles/why-n…

In my latest post, I ask whether the government could defend these powers by arguing they don’t even engage s. 8 — because they aren’t exercised for an investigative purpose.

The bill gives government broad powers to compel telecoms to do any "specified thing” to secure networks and to share information — potentially including sensitive metadata — across government and with foreign states.

Bill C-8 (the proposed Cyber Security Act) has flown under the radar — but it raises serious Charter questions. robertdiab.substack.com/p/powers-in-th…

The battle over AI summary standards isn't happening where you think it is. Publishers are fighting for a right that doesn't exist. Latest from @robertdiab for CIGI cigionline.org/articles/why-n…

My suggestions aim at: • narrowing warrantless information demands • tightening subscriber-ID powers • protecting encryption • strengthening independent oversight All while still giving police the tools they say they need.

Bill C-2 is back. After a recent roundtable with the Minister of Public Safety calling for ideas for how to improve the bill, I’ve posted “Five Ways to Fix Bill C-2 – and Better Protect Our Privacy” robertdiab.substack.com/p/five-ways-to…

I explore why in my new piece: nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articles…

Can lawyers safely use AI on client files or Crown disclosure? Law society and Crown policies don’t offer clear answers. Even “legal AI” tools like Lexis’ Protégé leave room for doubt. Some lawyers — and courts — are turning to the nuclear option: running AI offline.

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. slaw.ca/2025/11/10/how…