Ottawa is at the centre of a new federal conversation about artificial intelligence, as the government launches a consultation on AI agents — including the shopping bots increasingly used by Canadians to compare prices, track deals, and even complete purchases automatically. The push comes amid growing concern that these tools can mislead users or malfunction in ways that leave consumers on the hook.
What's Being Consulted On
According to reporting from The Globe and Mail, the federal government is seeking input on how to regulate AI agents that act on behalf of users, particularly in retail and e-commerce settings. These agents are designed to browse websites, negotiate prices, and even complete checkout processes without a human clicking every button. The concern isn't hypothetical: AI agents have already been shown to make errors, hallucinate product details, or agree to terms a human shopper never would.
For a government headquartered right here in Ottawa, this is more than an abstract policy exercise — it's the kind of consultation that plays out in departmental boardrooms across the city, from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, both based in the National Capital Region.
Why Ottawa Should Pay Attention
Ottawa isn't just where these policies get written — it's also home to a growing tech sector that stands to be directly affected. Kanata North, often dubbed Silicon Valley North, houses dozens of companies working on AI, e-commerce software, and automation tools. Local firms building or integrating shopping-bot technology could find themselves subject to new compliance requirements once this consultation wraps up.
Ottawa residents are also everyday users of these tools. Anyone who's used a browser extension to auto-apply coupon codes, or a chatbot to track a package or compare flight prices, has already interacted with a basic AI agent. As these tools get more sophisticated — and more autonomous — the risk of them making costly mistakes on a consumer's behalf grows too.
The Bigger Picture
This consultation fits into a broader pattern of the federal government trying to catch up to fast-moving AI technology. Ottawa has previously worked on the now-shelved Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA), and this new focus on AI agents suggests regulators are trying to take a more targeted approach — focusing on specific harms, like consumer deception, rather than sweeping AI legislation.
For local businesses in the retail, tech, and startup space, the outcome of this consultation could determine what kind of AI-powered tools they're allowed to deploy, and what disclosures they'll need to make to customers. Ottawa's tech community will likely be watching closely as the government works toward a policy framework.
Canadians and businesses interested in weighing in can expect further details on the consultation process to be released by the relevant federal departments in the capital.
Source: The Globe and Mail
