Emmanuelle Vaast

Data held by US-based tech giants could make Canadians vulnerable to US government overreach

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:56:08 +0000

Tech giants play an increasingly important role in the economy and in our everyday lives, but companies like Alphabet, Amazon and Apple are all based in the United States. In an age of heightened geopolitical tensions, some are calling for greater domestic control over the digital infrastructure we’ve all come to rely on.

AI red lines: who sets the limits in national security?

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:49:23 +0000

In a recent piece in The Conversation, Professor Emmanuelle Vaast examines the growing tensions between the use of artificial intelligence in warfare and surveillance. The discourse is prompted by a decision from AI company Anthropic, whose CEO refused to grant the U.S. military unrestricted access to its AI systems. The company established two "red lines": prohibiting the use of its technology for mass surveillance of citizens and preventing the deployment of fully autonomous weapons without having human oversight.

Resurfacing online ‘challenge’ linked to surge in lug nut incidents

john.sawaya@mcgill.ca — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:29:28 +0000

A surge of reports about loosened lug nuts on vehicles across Quebec has raised alarm among drivers and authorities, with some linking the dangerous trend to a resurfacing social mediamedia “lug nut challenge.” Emmanuelle Vaast, professor of information systems at ��’s Desautels Faculty of Management, warns that even minimally viral trends can become dangerous.

Emmanuelle Vaast

arifa.nitol@mail.mcgill.ca — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 17:08:35 +0000