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Eight organizations to join Canada’s voluntary AI code of conduct

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More organizations including Mastercard, Salesforce and Lenovo commit to the responsible development and management of advanced generative artificial intelligence systems

OTTAWA, ON, May 27, 2024 /CNW/ – Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology are benefiting society in many ways, including in improving supply chain management, enhancing health care and precision medicine, and helping tackle environmental sustainability challenges. These advances, however, have also reaffirmed the urgency of ensuring that AI systems, particularly advanced generative AI systems, are developed and managed safely.

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced that eight more organizations have undertaken a voluntary commitment in support of the ongoing development of a robust, responsible AI ecosystem in Canada. The new signatories to the Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems are:

AlloprofKyndrylLenovoLevioMaRS Discovery DistrictMastercardOrganisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ)Salesforce

In signing on to the voluntary code, these organizations are pledging to apply the code to their operations when developing and managing advanced generative AI systems. They are joining the 22 other signatories that have committed to supporting the ongoing development of a robust, responsible AI ecosystem in Canada. In addition, Canada continues to engage in domestic and international discussions supporting the creation of common standards and safeguards for generative AI systems.

The code is based on the input received from a cross-section of stakeholders through these engagements and through the consultation on the development of a Canadian code of practice for generative AI systems. The government has published a summary of feedback received during the consultation.

The government continues to take a leadership role in AI, committing $2.4 billion in Budget 2024 to help secure Canada’s AI advantage. Measures include investing in compute capacity and infrastructure, accelerating responsible and safe AI adoption and deployment, and supporting workers through skills training.

Quotes

“Artificial intelligence is one of the greatest technological transformations of our age, and our government is committed to providing Canadians and Canadian businesses with the tools they need to thrive in this digital era. In undertaking the Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems, leading Canadian organizations continue to adopt responsible measures for advanced generative AI systems that will help build safety and trust well into the future as the technology grows.”
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“Generative AI and traditional AI will unlock profound opportunities to enable solutions that benefit everyone. But, for this innovation to be sustainable and inclusive, people will need to trust it. And that starts with foundational practices that respect and protect individual rights and communities. At Mastercard, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of data and tech responsibility, and we believe Canada’s voluntary generative AI code of conduct is an important step forward in creating a unified framework for responsible data-driven innovation.”
Sasha Krstic, President, Mastercard, Canada

“We’ve seen how exploring and using artificial intelligence as a tool to support the real estate brokerage regulatory framework and its unique mission of protecting the public is paying off. In addition, our approach is helping to unleash the full potential of our employees by automating routine tasks. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s initiative in creating a code of conduct on artificial intelligence, to which the OACIQ adheres, demonstrates the importance of adopting an ethical approach in this field of innovation.”
– Nadine Lindsay, LL.B., ASC, C.Dir., Mediator, President and Chief Executive Officer, Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec

“The Government of Canada’s Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems is a significant step forward for the entire AI community and a strong commitment to AI stewardship. At MaRS, we are dedicated to upholding these standards to cultivate an ecosystem where innovation flourishes ethically and responsibly, ensuring that Canada continues to lead in safe and impactful AI advancements.”
–Alison Nankivell, Chief Executive Officer at MaRS Discovery District

“AI has the potential to enhance productivity and reshape entire industries for the benefit of humanity. Building that future will take a partnership between regulators, businesses, and civil society. We’re proud to sign Canada’s voluntary generative AI code of conduct as we collectively work towards instilling trust in the technology.”
–Eric Leob, Executive Vice President, Government Affairs at Salesforce

Quick facts

The Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems was launched in 2023.The Government of Canada has already taken significant steps toward ensuring that AI technology evolves responsibly and safely through the proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA), which was introduced in June 2022 as part of Bill C-27, also known as the Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022.AIDA is designed to promote the responsible design, development and use of AI systems in Canada’s private sector, with a focus on systems with the greatest impact on health, safety and human rights (high-impact systems).Since the introduction of Bill C-27, the government has engaged extensively with stakeholders on AIDA and will continue to seek the advice of Canadians, experts—including the government’s Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence—and international partners on the novel challenges posed by emerging AI technologies.Bill C-27 was adopted at second reading in the House of Commons in April 2023 and is currently being studied by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology.

Associated links

Securing Canada’s AI advantageConsultation on the development of a Canadian code of practice for generative artificial intelligence systemsMinister Champagne launches voluntary code of conduct relating to advanced generative AI systemsVoluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI SystemsNew laws to strengthen Canadians’ privacy protection and trust in the digital economyCanada’s Digital Charter and Bill C-27: Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022Artificial Intelligence and Data ActAdvisory Council on Artificial Intelligence

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AuthMind Secures Strategic Investment from F5 Amid Rising Demand for Identity Observability and Protection Across Human, Non-Human, and Agentic AI

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Investment underscores the critical importance of identity observability and protection in identity-related activities across multi-cloud and on-premises environments

BETHESDA, Md., May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — AuthMind Inc., a leader in identity protection, today announced a strategic investment from F5, the global leader in delivering and securing every app and API. The investment, part of AuthMind’s recently announced $19.3 million seed funding round, underscores the innovative value AuthMind brings to network, infrastructure, and identity protection.

Enterprises today operate in increasingly complex IT environments with fragmented infrastructure across on-premises, cloud, and SaaS. This complexity, compounded by the emergence of non-human identities, results in sophisticated, identity-focused attacks that leverage the visibility gaps traditional security tools struggle to cover.

AuthMind meets this need with an observability-driven Identity Protection Platform that continuously monitors all identities and access paths across these environments, enabling identity security posture management and detection of identity threats.

“AuthMind is uniquely positioned to deliver critical insights into identity-related activities across the entire infrastructure — a capability essential to securing today’s organizations,” said John Maddison, Chief Product Marketing and Technology Alliances Officer at F5. “This investment reflects our confidence in AuthMind’s innovative approach to integrating identity context with network activity to enable organizations to be more precise in identifying and remediating threats in complex hybrid multicloud environments.”

“F5’s investment in our observability-driven approach to identity protection underscores the innovation at the heart of our mission,” said Shlomi Yanai, CEO of AuthMind. “Their funding further validates our vision and will accelerate the evolution of the AuthMind Platform to meet the growing demand for securing the network and identity infrastructure more effectively.”

About AuthMind
AuthMind is pioneering observability-driven identity protection with a holistic platform that arms identity and cybersecurity teams with end-to-end, real-time identity security posture management and threat detection. Through unmatched visibility into the activities of identities—human, non-human, and agentic AI—spanning multi-cloud, hybrid, SaaS, and on-premises environments, the AuthMind Identity Protection Platform is the only solution that provides full identity and access context for fast remediation of identity threats and posture issues. Named a Gartner Cool Vendor in Identity-First Security, AuthMind is based in Bethesda, Maryland, with R&D operations in Pune, India. Visit www.authmind.com.

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SOURCE AuthMind inc

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E Source Acquires ILLUME Advising to Broaden Energy Consulting and Research Expertise

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The move represents a substantial stride in the company’s vision to be the utility industry’s solution partner of choice.

BOULDER, Colo., May 6, 2025 /CNW/ — E Source, a utilities-focused consulting, research, and data science company, has acquired ILLUME Advising, LLC, a research and strategy consultancy specializing in the energy sector. The acquisition boosts E Source’s ability to help its utility clients by providing deeper insights, tailored solutions, and richer engagement, building on the company’s deep expertise in North America’s utility sector.

ILLUME is a provider of people-centered research and consulting in the energy sector, founded in 2013 by Anne Dougherty and Sara Conzemius. Over the years, it has expanded to include more than 45 experts with diverse skills in social sciences, data science, engineering, strategic planning, and policy implementation.

E Source has been a solution partner to utilities for over 35 years. In 2019, it was acquired by Align Capital Partners (ACP), a growth-oriented mid-market private equity firm. The company has since grown organically and through acquisitions to create the most comprehensive solution partner in the utility industry.

Commenting on the acquisition, Joe Eazor, CEO, E Source, said, “I am thrilled to welcome the ILLUME team to E Source. This acquisition enhances our talent pool and depth of offerings, allowing us to create a more connected and holistic client experience across services. Anne and Sara have built an incredible company with a portfolio of trusted solutions that, combined with E Source’s scale and capabilities, will enhance the value we offer clients. We are thrilled to have their leadership on our journey to being the solution partner of choice in the utility industry.”

From behavioral economics and human-centered design to applied engineering and building science, ILLUME’s multidisciplinary expertise will further enhance E Source’s deep technical knowledge and trend-tracking capabilities across all utility verticals.

Anne Dougherty, ILLUME founder and co-owner, said, “At ILLUME, we’ve always believed in the power of rigorous research, strategic insight, and deep partnership with clients. E Source is the perfect match to help us scale that vision. Their data science, consulting, and solution-driven capabilities beautifully complement our work. We’re excited for what’s ahead, and confident our clients will see immediate value.”

The companies are now going through a systematic integration process, until the completion of which ILLUME will operate semi-independently as an E Source company. 

“Anne and I are thrilled to be joining forces with E Source—a company we’ve long admired,” said Sara Conzemius, ILLUME founder and co-owner. “Their commitment to innovation, environmental stewardship, and customer-centered solutions deeply aligns with our mission at ILLUME. Together, our teams are positioned to deliver a next-generation set of services to help utilities navigate the energy transition with clarity, purpose, and impact.”

Align Capital Partners was advised by McGuireWoods and ILLUME was advised by the Environmental Financial Consulting Group and Murphy Desmond S.C.

About E Source 
E Source combines industry-leading research, data science, and consulting to help utilities make and implement better data-driven decisions that positively impact their customers, their bottom line, and our planet. Headquartered in Boulder, CO, E Source has teams across the US and Canada. Learn more at www.esource.com.

About ILLUME Advising, LLC 

ILLUME is a research and strategy consultancy specializing in people-centered consulting to advance, re-envision, and transform the power sector. As energy specialists, ILLUME empowers utilities, regulators, and industry leaders to tackle complex challenges and accelerate innovation. ILLUME offers a holistic consulting approach grounded in four areas of expertise: Affordability, Access, and Resilience; Emerging Opportunities; Evaluation and Success Planning; and Human Insights. With headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin, and Tucson, Arizona, ILLUME has teams located in 15 states across the US. Learn more at www.illumeadvising.com.

Media contact
Adarsh Nalam, Director, Solutions Marketing and Communications
adarsh_nalam@esource.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/e-source-acquires-illume-advising-to-broaden-energy-consulting-and-research-expertise-302447374.html

SOURCE E Source Companies LLC

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Enverus releases ‘2025 Interconnection Queue Outlook’ to navigate backlogged grid challenges

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Understanding competitive landscape conditions, delays and regional disparities key to renewable energy project success

AUSTIN, Texas, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Enverus, the most trusted energy-dedicated SaaS company that leverages generative AI across its solutions, is releasing its 2025 Interconnection Queue Outlook, a comprehensive collection of power generation and transmission projects that show requests to connect to the U.S. power grid. Leveraging its proprietary machine learning model, Enverus assigns a probability of success to every queued power plant project, enabling the analysis of trends and insights into portfolio valuation and queue dynamics. With interconnection queue challenges posing a major hurdle for projects, this outlook offers a data-driven perspective and provides critical insights for developers, investors and policymakers navigating the evolving energy landscape.

Enverus experts continue to underscore that generous tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act and the EPA’s update to 40 CFR Part 60, which mandates additional coal retirements, have significantly boosted demand for renewable energy projects across the United States. The surge in investment and development has overwhelmed interconnection queues, with a record number of projects seeking grid connections. This has exceeded grid operators’ processing capacity, causing significant delays and project suspensions. Understanding project suspensions and success rates is critical, as these factors vary by independent system operators (ISO), technology type and project stage.

In a recent Enverus Intelligence® Research (EIR) report, analysts found about 90% of renewable generation projects do not progress beyond the interconnection queue, and that the New York ISO (NYISO), Southwest Power Pool (SPP), PennsylvaniaNew JerseyMaryland (PJM) and ISO New England (ISO-NE) have higher suspension rates later in the project lifecycle, with Interconnection Agreement suspension rates ranging from 46% to 79%, compared to around 20% in Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Projects in these markets show minimal improvement in completion probability until reaching construction. Understanding these regional differences helps developers maximize investment potential by minimizing project delays and increasing the odds of making it through the queue.

With low project success rates, power developers need better data to navigate risks and opportunities in this evolving landscape, and that’s where Enverus’ unique Interconnection Queue shines.

Read the full announcement and download Enverus’ 2025 Interconnection Queue Outlook

About Enverus
Enverus is the most trusted energy-dedicated SaaS company, with a platform built to maximize value from generative AI, offering anytime, anywhere access to analytics and insights. These include benchmark cost and revenue data sourced from more than 95% of U.S. energy producers and more than 40,000 suppliers. Our platform, with intelligent connections, drives more efficient production and distribution, capital allocation, renewable energy development, investment and sourcing. Our experienced industry experts support our customers through thought leadership, consulting and technology innovations. We provide intelligence across the energy ecosystem: renewables, oil and gas, financial institutions, and power and utilities, with more than 7,700 customers in 50 countries. Learn more at Enverus.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/enverus-releases-2025-interconnection-queue-outlook-to-navigate-backlogged-grid-challenges-302447392.html

SOURCE Enverus

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