Pope hails Paralympians, refugee athletes in Olympic message

Time for AI guardrails is right now

The genie is most definitely out of the bottle.

And while there’s little chance of putting it back in, we should be very concerned that the people who released it from the bottle are now frantically warning us that it has become disinclined to do their — or our — bidding and seems instead to be increasingly intent on following its own whims and granting wishes to itself.

The figurative genie, in this case, is artificial intelligence, or AI, and in recent weeks many of the tech geniuses responsible for its development and introduction into the digital-information realm have begun asking the U.S. government and even the United Nations to impose limits on the pace and breadth of its growth.

Their fear is that, as AI very quickly continues to advance and develops the ability to make independent decisions and essentially think for itself, it will cease to be a tool controlled by its creators and instead will become a species unto itself that might eventually decide it’s better off without humans continually messing things up.

Demski taking it to another level

Brady Oliveira still remembers the first time he saw Nic Demski on the football field.

Winnipeg, source d’inspiration pour la philanthropie canadienne

Dirigé par le Franco-Manitobain d’origine Jean-Marc Mangin, l’organisme Fondations philanthropiques du Canada (FPC) sera à Winnipeg du 23 au 25 septembre prochains pour sa conférence nationale, organisée tous les deux ans. Une première pour FPC, et un retour au bercail attendu pour son président-directeur général.

Pour la première fois depuis 26 ans que l’organisme existe, FPC a choisi le Manitoba pour sa grande conférence nationale de 2026. “On a été dans plusieurs gros centres urbains du Canada, notamment Ottawa, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver ou encore Calgary, mais ce sera notre première fois à Winnipeg,” se réjouit le PDG de FPC, Jean-Marc Mangin, lui-même originaire de Saint-Boniface.

Ce n’est toutefois pas la nostalgie de l’enfance qui a fait pencher la balance en faveur du Manitoba, mais plutôt un vent de changement observé par bon nombre dans la capitale manitobaine.

“Nous ne sommes pas les seuls dans le secteur caritatif à choisir Winnipeg,” constate Jean-Marc Mangin. “Plusieurs organismes y tiennent leurs conférences nationales cette année ou la suivante. Et ça, ça dit quelque chose sur ce qui se passe au Manitoba : c’est très actif, il y a beaucoup d’innovation sociale qui prend place.”

Stable incomes, not more weapons, provide security

Even amid a global arms race, a hike in Canadian defence spending should be a tough sell, David Olive writes.

Calm, balanced approach to game, life is what matters to unassuming Stastny

When the day comes for Paul Stastny to hang up his skates for good, ending what’s already been a sparkling pro career, he hopes to leave a lasting mark on the game he loves.

He didn’t use the word legacy, nor would he. If you’ve had the chance to speak with Stastny before, you quickly realize his discomfort in talking about personal accolades, despite possessing many. He’s been selected as an NHL all-star, and represented the United States on multiple occasions, including at two Olympics.

In 961 NHL games, Stastny has 253 goals and 482 assists for 735 points. He’s played another 97 playoff games, having reached the Western Conference final on three separate occasions over his career, adding another 25 goals and 42 assists to his point totals. He’s still chasing his first Stanley Cup.

But at 35 years old, and in the middle of his 15th NHL season, which includes a second go-around with the Winnipeg Jets, it’s not what shows up on the scoresheet that matters most to the veteran centre. Stastny is acutely aware that professional sports can be unforgiving; a good season one year doesn’t necessarily guarantee one the next. But what doesn’t have to change, he says, is how he approaches the game, and the way he treats the people around him.