Gen(Z)AI | Forum Report: AI & Information Integrity

Executive Summary

Gen(Z)AI is a first-of-its-kind youth assembly on artificial intelligence, bringing together 100 young Canadians aged 17–23 to contribute directly to discussions on the future of AI governance in Canada. It is jointly organized by the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy and the Dialogue on Technology Project, in partnership with Mila, Quebec's AI Institute. This report covers the second of four regional forums, held in Montreal and focused on AI and information integrity, during which participants engaged with expert speakers, took part in workshops, and deliberated on policy challenges over three days; a further 75 participants joined the third day through hybrid engagement sessions.

Public concern about information reliability in Canada is high: national survey data show 59 percent of Canadians are very or extremely concerned about online misinformation, and 64 percent report low trust in social media content not affiliated with recognized government, scientific, or news organizations. Participants said these challenges disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including children and youth, and identified three core issues of concern: the volume and sophistication of AI-generated and misleading content overwhelming users and undermining confidence in reliable information; algorithmic recommendation systems that reinforce information echo chambers and intensify social and political polarization; and engagement-driven information environments that contribute to declining trust in news media, government, and other public institutions.

In response, participants developed policy recommendations in three broad categories: reactive policy mechanisms (clear reporting pathways, remedies, and institutional responses when AI-enabled mis- or disinformation causes harm); design and system-level mechanisms (safeguards and limits on deceptive or manipulative practices within AI systems); and participatory and literacy-building mechanisms (strengthening user agency, media and AI literacy, and transparency across government and platform actors). These recommendations will be shared with thousands of young Canadians via Make.org's civic dialogue platform, and a consolidated final report, incorporating findings from all four regional forums (covering chatbots, information integrity, privacy, and age assurance), will be released in May 2026, with final recommendations presented to policymakers in Ottawa.