The 1-800 number hoping to break Canada’s digital divide

Forget the app store, just pick up the phone.

Norman Valdez, an AI and social impact leader and Director of Technology and Design at CERIC, is working to bridge the gap between AI technology design and community interaction. His newest venture, BrainTrainr, is innovating with a 1-800-based number powered by similar AI assistant technology used on the world wide web.

"The AI that we use requires a device and requires an application, right? Sometimes that application is not available on your device because its on Apple App Store only for example. So the solution here is...to provide a number which can break down digital and social exclusion," says Valdez. 

BrainTrainr 1800 is described as a "continuous companion" that users can call any time and pick up where they left off. Valdez says it will remember the progress of each phone number's call session. It can provide on-demand learning, practical support and community connection. As it operates on a toll-free phone number, no internet connection or computer is required.

"There is the problem that it [companies] are creating systems and tools that are not going to be as useful to some people as it already is for some people," says Valdez. "We have a lot of people who have, especially now, with the economy being the way it is, low income households. To enjoy the fruits of AI they are going to need high-speed internet."

Technical limitations in Canada, based on income and age, are contributing to the widening gap between households in the country. The BrainTrainr team is currently finalising their MVP for a projected launch in December. They are also participating in the Vector Institute's Data Readiness, Model Development & Deployment (DaRMoD) Program, with a focus on the effects of data and AI on society. 

Tiffany Kwok is a tech policy expert who has conducted research with The Dais, NATO, and the Ontario Public Service. She says affordability and digital latency are two of the various factors contributing to Canada's digital divide.

"Newcomers to Canada might struggle with the affordability aspect - it might be different in terms of pricing compared to where they came from," says Kwok. Adding, "older adults, I would say they probably face a myriad of struggles with affordability, knowing how to use the technology with digital literacy, maybe even knowing how to get the infrastructure or the necessary equipment to set up their internet or to use their phones."

The Government of Canada conducted a survey on digital transformation among Canadians in 2023. It found that only 60 per cent of seniors were comfortable using the internet. Additionally, a 2022 report found that the average cost of internet with speeds of 41 to 100 Mbps in Canada is $75.39, which is higher than the same service found in the U.S., Japan or France.

BrainTrainr's 1-800 number is equipped with LLM technology to chat with callers about queries from learning a language to checking community centre hours. He says it's about creating educational pathways through voice. For newcomers to the country, BrainTrainr is working to make its service available in four to five languages and connect to services such as job boards and messaging services.

"BrainTrainr 1-800 can actually connect to the database of LinkedIn. Then once you connect to it can actually pair you and make suggestions...and write an email with an introduction or a message." 

Valdez added that ethics and representation are also huge factors in this new program. Aside from the upcoming 1-800 project, his organisation focuses on implementing community-focused strategies to enhance social impact through increased access points. Currently, the lack of high-speed internet in rural and Indigenous communities across the country is where the impact of AI technology advancements is felt the most.

According to the Government of Canada's 2022 report, only 93.5 per cent of Canadians had access to high-speed internet services. The government states that it will not achieve 100 per cent coverage until 2030. Many of these underserved areas are in Indigenous communities.

Valdez, being Indigenous from South America himself, is very involved within the community. He says that with the toll-free phone number, he hopes to establish another crucial method for preserving oral traditions and lower the tech barriers that affect these communities to this day. 

"If we don't step in, if we don't represent the grassroots, then we're going to have this technology to continue to just favour the few."