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Claude Gannon, Markham, ON

We need to assure AI development is regulated before pushing AI literacy

How Canada can succeed in the global AI race by playing to its strengths 鈥� its people, Aug. 23

It seems to me the evidence that AI is a digital pig in a poke is more than plentiful at this point. It strikes me that we are long overdue for putting this wasteful, unethical, ineffective, and dangerous technology to the sword. We don’t need AI literacy. We need strong laws and deep regulation to assure that this Wild West AI development is under control.

V. Samuel Agro, Toronto

Surely, the trustworthiness of AI is as important as AI literacy

Vivek Goel and David Agnew write that “every Canadian deserves to have basic AI literacy,” but nowhere do they explain what AI literacy actually means. Is it familiarity with certain terms, an ability to use AI to generate text, or something else? It’s an important question, especially if schools are mandated to ensure such literacy in addition to all the other literacies we are asking them to be responsible for. The authors also praise a company that aims to make “AI tools more trustworthy and accessible to regular consumers.” Surely the trustworthiness of the people and organizations that own, develop, and control the tools is at least as important as basic AI literacy.

Frank Gavin, Toronto

We need to do more in听disadvantaged neighbourhoods听

听His name was JahVai Roy. We cannot forget him, Aug. 19

JahVai Roy’s path was tragically cut short. No one, especially a child 鈥渟afe鈥� beside his mom in bed should be at risk of gunshots. What is happening to ensure that this never happens again? I appreciate the rally/gathering at city hall in honour of JahVai on Aug. 22 as a start. There needs to be more.

What鈥檚 being done to get guns out of our city and away from children? My three kids shouldn鈥檛 be safer because we had the 鈥渓uck鈥� or the 鈥済race of God鈥� to live in the right neighbourhood. Every child in every corner of this city deserves to be safe.

Every year the police budget rises astronomically, what about social programs to help disadvantaged social economic neighbourhoods?

Deb Solar, Toronto

Where are Toronto’s tennis stars?

F茅lix Auger-Aliassime evolves into 鈥榙ifferent player鈥� as U.S. Open run ends with semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner, Sept. 6听

Canadian tennis success at the recent US Open reflects a critical mass of athletic potential with athletes noted from Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Burlington, and the GTA, with the glaring exception of Metro Toronto.

In Chatham, where I grew up, my friends and I had virtually unlimited access to publicly owned tennis courts in a city park, playing five to seven days a week during high school summers. While at U of T, there was no access to public tennis courts in the area, so I quit the sport.

My wife is a property owner and taxpayer in Toronto, so I now try to play there, and it appears that things haven’t changed much in 50 years. Access to good courts on park land paid for by city taxes is severely restricted to limited memberships of “community tennis clubs” that function as inexpensive private clubs in all but name. Public times are basically limited to a few hours on weekend evenings, with no access during the week, not even when courts are not being used by members. This policy discriminates against Torontonians.

Both young people and taxpayers would be better served by some kind of reform to the current system. Other cities, including Vancouver, manage to provide lots of good courts that are accessible to all at all times.

Laurence Lee, Vancouver, B.C.

听

Mark Carney is playing chess, not checkers

鈥楪eneration screwed鈥�: With the dismal youth employment numbers, Poilievre found a wide-open lane and pulled in, Sept. 7

Jamie Watt ignores the fact that Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada face the same challenges that most democracies are facing today. Following the same old, worn-out attack strategy of all Conservatives, he pushes the idea that, since our prime minister has failed to solve all of Canada’s and the world’s problems in a few months, Canadians should have another look at Poilievre.

Carney has the respect of all world leaders because of his spotless reputation and his expertise. He is, unlike Poilievre, not a professional politician. Poilievre spouts negativity and half-baked ideas. Carney instead is calm and professional, not willing to join the Conservatives by constantly being on the attack. He is playing chess, not checkers. It is a long-term strategy. He refuses to adopt the Conservative’s constant mudslinging. Unlike Poilievre’ simplistic bumper sticker slogans and total lack of long-range plans to solve a seemingly endless list off problems, Carney listens and thinks things through.

Does Watt really think that Poilievre and his negativity and mean-spirited attitude is what Canada needs or wants? Youth unemployment, while a serious concern, is the least of the Conservative’s problems.

Richard Murri, Niagara Falls, ON

Ford needs to better manage Ontario’s forests

Heads up Ontario: Sweden thinks its found a green energy solution by ramping up forest harvesting. But forests are not factories, Sept. 8

You’ve found another pearl in the column by Emil Siekkinen on the management of Swedish forests. The Ford government fiddles while Ontario burns summer after summer. Its promise to buy four more Bombardier water bombers will take eight to 10 years to come to realization. That is if they allot the funds and make the purchase today. Ontario needs to plant a lot more trees now, clear the underbrush now and manage our forests sustainably now. Otherwise, more and more people will be burned out of their homes, every summer.

James F. Mc Cann, Toronto

听

Ken Dryden’s parents were fine role models

Ken Dryden was more than a great Canadien. He was a great Canadian who helped the Leafs through troubled times, Sept. 7

In reading the articles about Ken Dryden and his many accomplishments, I thought back to the time I had met his dad Murray Dryden at a meeting where he talked about the charity “Sleeping Children Around the World.” Murray Dryden along with his wife听Margaret听initiated this charity in 1970 after observing children with no place to sleep as he was travelling in Asia. The charity uses volunteers to distribute bed kits with a mattress, net, school supplies and clothing to poor children, and what’s more, a picture is taken with the individual child behind a sign with the name of the donor. They research and use local suppliers. I have many such pictures with the children who benefited from the donation. Such is the family Ken Dryden grew up in. Fine examples all around.

Maria Lorenzoni, Woodbridge, ON

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