The Government of Canada recently released its new national artificial intelligence strategy, AI for All: Canada’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. While much of the public discussion around AI focuses on economic growth, innovation, and productivity, the strategy also includes several initiatives that could have important implications for communication and hearing health professionals.
One of the most significant announcements is the creation of Canada’s new AI Missions Program. The first mission will focus on healthcare, with the goal of accelerating the adoption of AI in diagnostics, patient care, and health system efficiency. As governments, healthcare organizations, and technology developers increasingly explore how AI can support healthcare delivery, there may be opportunities to improve access to speech-language pathology and audiology services, particularly for individuals living in rural, remote, and underserved communities.
AI technologies are already being developed to support hearing screening, speech and language assessment, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), automated transcription and captioning, virtual care, and clinical decision support. Future innovations could help identify communication, hearing, and swallowing disorders earlier, streamline care pathways, and improve access to services for Canadians who currently face barriers to care.
At the same time, AI systems can create new barriers if communication accessibility is not considered during their design and implementation. AI-generated speech, captions, summaries, and transcripts must be accurate enough to support meaningful communication. Likewise, AI systems should be tested with people who have communication and hearing disabilities, and developers must address the risk of bias when systems are trained on data that may not adequately represent individuals with atypical speech, hearing loss, language differences, or complex communication needs.
SAC is already contributing to this conversation through its participation in the My Say: Exploring the Opportunities and Risks of AI-Assisted Communication project led by the Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD University. This disability-led initiative is examining both the opportunities and risks of generative AI-assisted communication and will help inform future accessibility standards and guidance for AI technologies.
While AI will not replace the clinical expertise, judgment, and human connection that are central to speech-language pathology and audiology, it is likely to become an increasingly important part of the healthcare landscape. SAC will continue to monitor developments in
this area and advocate for communication and hearing accessibility to be considered from the outset as Canada’s AI future takes shape. These ongoing efforts include the creation of a position statement regarding the impact and role of AI in communication and hearing health services in Canada.
