Hour 1 of Ottawa Now for Thurs. May 22nd, 2025

Imagine the next generation of Canadian kids learning how to read books and tackle math equations without the help of a human teacher. According to Luis von Ahn, the Head of Duolingo, Artificial Intelligence is eventually capable of replacing teachers in the modern-day classroom. However, he says schools will still exist because parents will still need childcare. Matthew Guzdial is an Assistant Professor of Computing Science at the University of Alberta. He vehemently disagrees with von Ahn’s hot takes, and he outlines his detailed reasoning in Hour 1. Switching gears to city news, enhanced security measures at Ottawa City Hall will be installed by the end of this month. In a memo that was sent out last Friday, visitors will be required to enter City Hall using the entrances at Laurier Avenue West and Lisgar Street. Visitors will have to go through a metal detector before entering the building, and every single bag will be screened. As expected, some advocates are not fully on board with City Hall’s new security protocols. Tom Ledgley, a Coordinator with Horizon Ottawa, explains what’s grinding his gears.