The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Are You Fearful or Excited About Artificial Intelligence? -- Your Turn

Episode Date: October 31, 2024

The Random Ranter tries to explain how and why his political views have changed in recent years. 

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You're just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge. It's all about AI today, artificial intelligence. Are you afraid of it or are you excited by it? That's coming right up. Hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. Your Thursday episode of Your Turn is here right now. And the topic for discussion today is artificial intelligence. And you know we've had this discussion before, but not in terms of how you feel personally about it. So here's the question for today.

It's been out all week, and you have responded with lots of answers. The question is simple. Do you fear AI, or are you excited by AI? We've had answers from across the country, so let's get right at it. Also today, the random ranter. He'll be by a little later on. And he's actually responding to some of your concerns of late too. So we'll have that coming right up. Okay, we start with Melissa Culliver

in Wilsonville, Ontario. Melissa writes, I'm landing on the side of fearing AI. As someone who has spent their career in the museum world, I worry that history will be rewritten through the manipulation of historic images. In our small corner of the world, we recently encountered photos being altered

to fit a certain narrative in a documentary film without a disclaimer noting the world. We recently encountered photos being altered to fit a certain narrative in a documentary film without a disclaimer noting the manipulation. This leads people to believe something happened in a way that is not accurate. This is just the tip of the iceberg from a historic perspective. We learn

from the past and if it's changed through artificial means we are doomed. Carolyn Black from Waterloo, Ontario. This is a timely topic for me. Last week, for the first time at work, I used AI to help me complete some work, and it shaved several hours off the task. That said, I'm most excited about the opportunities AI presents to help solve major challenges of our times, specifically climate change and serious medical conditions. Callum Arnold from Ottawa. I fear artificial intelligence because it is a technology that

exacerbates capitalism's exploitative tendencies while undermining the democratic aspects of our daily lives. I also fear as an artist and a writer that human creativity is once again going to be sacrificed at the altar of economic prosperity, not human prosperity, mind you. AI will be the dagger that excises all hope of shared meaning among us. A lot of big words there, Callum. But that's okay. Jamie Capelli in Toronto.

AI will improve our ability to do more with less. I think it will be most valuable in improving access to healthcare without increasing costs. Most of our provinces are struggling with making sure Canadians have access to family doctors. You could easily see a model where people submit diagnostics to a frontline medical AI, either through blood work or the many devices that we already integrate into our lives like smartwatches. The AI could determine the next steps in the health plan, prescriptions, advice, etc., and only refer to a family doc when there is a need. If family docs are such a precious resource, let AI free up their time to focus on cases that really need their attention.

I like these letters because clearly people have given a lot of thought to what their suggestions are, one way or the other here. Mike Fleischhacker in Coe Hill, Ontario. That's about an hour northeast of Peterborough. I'm excited for AI advancements in the field of healthcare. Imagine an AI support that has every interaction you've ever had in a health-related capacity at its fingertips, including your genetic code. It would be like a family doctor that had only you as a patient your entire life,

who could simultaneously access the forefront of all medical science in an instant. This could be a powerful tool for my actual human doctor to manage, and possibly even expand her roster of patients. It would make my doctor a superhero. Mark Nordham in Listowel, Ontario. That's less than an hour northwest of Kitchener. It's also very close to my hometown of Stratford. Mark writes, I'm a dairy farmer,

and I'm looking forward to the benefits our farm will experience from AI. This is fabulous. Listen to this. There are already voluntary milking systems, robotic feeders, and manure scrapers. I know a new lighting system is in the works that will hang in the barn. Each light has a camera to keep an eye on each individual cow, keeping track of her cycle, feed intake, and general health. The system will also keep track of cows that are calving, and if there's an issue, will alert me to come to the barn immediately, even if I'm asleep at 2.30 in the morning.

This will relieve stress on me and the animals. I look forward to seeing what the future brings to the agriculture industry. Now, if you read our last book, the book written by Mark Bulgerton and myself, How Canada Works, you will remember the story of David Weins. He's a Manitoba dairy farmer. He loved the systems he already had. And in case listeners are wondering

about voluntary milking systems, they should read the book because it really explains how cows milk themselves. That's right. Cows can milk themselves. Joe Henshall in Calgary. There's a lag even for computers between when it knows an answer and when it reveals it. This moment of time, however small, has the potential to be targeted by bad actors. Think about tennis. When a player challenges a line call, the players and the audience wait a few seconds for the computer

to reveal the right call. The answer is already known, just not yet revealed. You might imagine this for any other scenario, stock market trading, even elections. I could easily see the next 007 movie on the exact plot line. Okay. Derek Forsyth in Edmonton. The use by students of applications like ChatGPT are moving young writers further away from actually crafting and organizing thoughts on their own. I'm old enough to have had to actually put pen to paper when taking notes and writing papers at the university level. I'm convinced that connectivity that comes from physically writing down and organizing thoughts on paper

was an important component to internalizing the material. I get that AI will make completing certain tasks easier, but at least from a perspective of learning, how we complete tasks should challenge the synapses and better prepare future generations for life outside beyond education. Matthew Sklarczyk, he's a fairly frequent writer from Vernon, B.C. My biggest fear is what humans will lose when we pawn off all our physical and intellectual labor onto AI. The physical trade-off is always easier to imagine.

If we have an AI robot that cleans the home and cuts the grass while we're at work, what will we do with that extra time? I'm sure most of us have enlightened answers, but like water, we tend to follow the path of least resistance and end up on the couch. Extend that analogy to mental tasks like writing an email, essay or resume, or doing your own research. Not everything in life is supposed to be easy. Trevor Saunders, he's in Cobourg, Ontario. That's just east of Toronto, but now we're east, I guess. I spent a lot of time dabbling in various forms of digital art. My concern is for all creative content, not just art. AI scans the

internet for existing content to create its version, but now less new content is being created by actual people, so AI has less fresh material to use. Will content cease to evolve? That's my fear. Paula Gratton in Miramichi, New Brunswick. I'm antisocial. I choose the self-checkout almost every time, but I don't want people replaced.

I can see that AI has benefits, but they aren't outweighed by the need for people to have contact with other people. AI shouldn't be used to replace humans. Jane DeMuth. She lives sometimes in Ottawa, but right now she's in New Paltz, New York. That's about two hours north of New York City.

My biggest concern with so-called artificial intelligence is that it will be mistaken for actual intelligence. There's nothing intelligent about AI. Intelligence requires creativity and discernment. AI is simply rehashing existing patterns of information, much or all of which has been pilfered from the internet without the creator's permission. There is no thought or consideration whatsoever that goes into this process, because the algorithm simply is not capable of determining what's true and what's not true. In the information technology world,

we sometimes refer to garbage in, garbage out. That's all AI is. Mistaking this for intelligence is a grave error. Cole Christie in Calgary. I hope someone is working on an AI that has reviewed all of the published academic papers in the world. With access to a variety of scientific journals and archives, you could have an AI that would be the equivalent of a person having thousands of PhDs in every imaginable field of study.

This AI could draw new exciting conclusions across multiple disciplines. I think this could lead to unbelievable new discoveries in all fields, primarily mathematics, physics, biology, engineering, health, chemistry, and medicine. Exciting times ahead. Michael Artendale in Sudbury, Ontario. I remember in the 80s when unions fought automation because they said it would kill blue-collar jobs. But people still have jobs. What has changed over time is the type of work they do. AI will change how art, literature, and music is produced. AI will change

how exams are done. AI will change how people learn. That does not mean it's bad. AI can be used for very good things, like discovering medical advances we could not think of, or doing very mundane tasks that would take a person far too long. I feel AI will be an overall good thing for humanity. Betsy Dobb in St. Agatha, Ontario wins the shortest letter of the week.

She writes, What do I worry about with respect to AI? Hell. Okay. If you saw 2001 A Space Odyssey, you know what that means. If you didn't, it won't mean very much. So here's a brief explanation.

The film was released in 1968 and depicted a space flight of the future. Hal is an artificial intelligence entity that keeps the spacecraft working. When the two human members of the crew begin to see Hal making mistakes, they consider unplugging Hal. Hal realized what's happening, so to prevent his disconnection, Hal kills the astronauts. It's supposed to be fiction, okay? Julian Brown in Georgetown, Ontario, just west of Toronto.

My greatest fear about AI is that it will pass a tipping point and become more intelligent than us. This could lead to the next arms race, which may force warring countries to give more control to the AIs to afford being outmaneuvered. The scariest part is that these super-intelligent AIs will be capable of manipulating us to achieve their own goals, which may not align with ours.

Spencer Stinson in Blenheim, Ontario. I think the positive applications for AI far outweigh the negatives. Right now, scientists are using AI modeling to accelerate potential new antibiotics, something we drastically need as resistance to existing ones increases. In addition, they are also simulating all sorts of chemical compound combinations to see if there is a more environmentally friendly EV battery that could be developed.

Daryl Johanson in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. At this point, I lean towards fear I've observed what the smartest intelligence on the planet, humans, have done and continues to do to the environment and how greed has degraded our social structure Adding an intelligence that has no conscience or checks and balances is uncertain and scary. Jeff Morris in Oakville, Ontario. I most fear that the current misinformation and disinformation will be further multiplied by AI.

I read several newspapers every day and regard a significant amount of the content with skepticism. Actually, we get several letters about this fear that people won't be able to detect fake news because it will be done so well. Reminder that not all letters make it onto the program. Some duplication we squeeze out like that. Brian Hoyle in Bedford, Nova Scotia. My greatest fear is the rush to embrace AI without a full understanding of how we will live our lives. In the 1970s, a conference was held in California

to argue for a pause in the use of the then infant technology of genetic engineering until the possible consequences could be assessed. That wisdom had some effect on the subsequent rollout of genetic engineering and safeguards of its and to its misuse. Those being seduced by AI would do well to similarly ponder what the AI future might hold. Nancy Taylor in Calgary. I use ChatGPT, the free AI tool, and it's made a real difference in my cooking and writing.

It's like having a versatile assistant right at my fingertips. For example, if I'm hosting a family dinner on Sunday, I can ask it, what's a good meal that meets vegan and gluten-free dietary needs and still appeals to kids under six? And it'll give me fantastic ideas. Or if I want to add some flair to a traditional recipe, it suggests delicious ways to spice it up. It's also a great help with writing. I've used it to draft

petition letters for city zoning issues, or to write thoughtful notes to friends, sometimes even in rhyme. I believe it's important to communicate our thoughts clearly and directly, and AI tools help with that exactly. I presume she wrote this without AI help. Just, you know, just guessing. Philip Stiff in Winnipeg. I'm thrilled with all the developments in the AI field. For the past year, I've been a regular user of an AI art program. It lets me do things I've never thought possible with computer art. It feels empowering every time I sit down to use it,

almost as if I've grown a second set of eyes or a third arm. For example, there's software that lets me take photographs I've taken and reimagine them into stylish drawings or illustrations. For those that remain concerned about AI, I recommend seeking out books on the subject, familiarize yourself with the science. As with anything, knowledge of the subject will help to demystify any fears of the technology. Philip attached samples of his AI art to his email, and they look pretty good.

Margaret Robinson in Ottawa. What I fear is the massive amount of energy needed to power this technology. When you hear that it uses as much power as entire countries, you've got to wonder how, in the current climate disaster, we let this happen. Certainly no one asked me if I wanted it. You know, Google published a report that said its total greenhouse gas emissions increased nearly 50% over the last five years, in large part due to its growing AI push. So Margaret's got a point there. Ryan Roger in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.

I'm excited about the potential of AI to enhance the living conditions of the elderly. The integration of AI with self-driving cars will significantly improve mobility for seniors in their later years. Additionally, the combination of AI and robotics can enable robots to provide care for the elderly, helping them remain safely in their homes for longer. Jason Craig in Conqueror Mills, Nova Scotia. It's near Bridgewater. Jason wrote a thoughtful email, but I took special note of this one paragraph he has.

I'm excited about offerings such as Perplexity, which has replaced Googling for all but the simplest of items I might want to look up or research. You really should try this. It's a game changer. Guess what? We did try it. Perplexity.ai. It's a very thorough search engine. Perplexity.ai. Derek Andrews in Fredericton, New Brunswick. If we compare ourselves to the industrial revolution and the explosion of textile, steam power, and large-scale factories around 1760, then we are in our 1764 moment of realization that things are not going to be the same.

We're on the cusp of endless possibilities where knowledge itself becomes an active participant able to support us, brainstorm with us, and even organize our collective insights. Imagine a world where AI doesn't just store information but actively brings it alive. At its best, this technology has the potential to reconnect citizens with institutions that may have felt distant or out of reach.

We're about at the halfway point, so why don't we take our break, and when we come back, we'll listen to the random ranter on his thing for this week his thing his rant his shtick his his thoughts for this week and then we get back to your letters because we've still got lots of them to go uh we'll be back right after this and welcome back you're listening to the thursday episode of the bridge thursdays of course it's your turn and the random renter our question this week has been what do you fear most about ai and what do you find the most exciting about AI? You pick one stream there. And we've had lots of thoughts from all of you already.

But it's time for the ranter. And the ranter, you know, of late he's been, you know, this word balance is a crazy thing, right, when you're dealing with opinion. But over time, over the last couple of years that the rancher's been doing his shtick with us, I'd say it's, you know, it's pretty even, really. He attacks everybody. He's probably attacked Justin Trudeau more than he's attacked anybody. But of late, he's been, and I think there's an influence

in the United States here as well in terms of the politics we've been watching. He's been going after the right. So I told him last week, I said, you know, you're really starting to hit the right and just the right. You haven't been doing much about center or center left. And he said, you know what I should do? I probably should do something about explaining why in this moment

I'm doing what I'm doing. And I said, yeah, sure, go for it. Doesn't mean everybody's going to agree with you, but it's good to put your thoughts out there and explain where you're coming from so guess what that's what we got today from the random renter i've been pretty one-sided in my criticisms of the right lately but instead of providing some balance by going after the low

hanging fruit that is Justin Trudeau, I thought I'd try and explain my issues with the right. Now, first off, with all the Trump coverage going on right now, how can I not be triggered? These are crazy times. Secondly, I'm not a journalist. I don't need to put forward some false equivalency to try and make things fair. I can say it like I see it. And the way I see it, the right wing today are not the right wing of old. It's true here in Canada, and it's even more so south of the border. Conservatives used to be concerned about balanced budgets, the national debt, and small government. But nowadays, it's all social conservatism. It's the politics of gender, it's conspiracy theories, and it's climate denial.

Which is crazy to me, because why should the environment be political at all? I mean, back in the day, you could be a conservative who cared about the environment. In fact, Brian Mulroney led the charge on both acid rain and ozone depletion, and he partnered with Reagan and Bush to do it. Can you see that happening with today's cast of right-wing characters? Sure, they're interested in saving the environment, from the scourge of wind turbines and solar arrays, that is. Their whole way of thinking is corrupt, and I'd go as far to say that if you are a Mulroney, or even a no-tool conservative, you can't feel comfortable with it. And you shouldn't feel comfortable with it. Because today's right is no longer a conservative movement. It's a populist one,

driven by an ugly us versus them mentality. But the us parade, including flag-waving pickup trucks, anti-vaxxers, and climate change deniers. And the them, including the mainstream media, democratic institutions, and well, me for one. And look, it might not sound like it sometimes, but I've got all kinds of traditional conservative values. I'm all for balanced budgets and responsible spending. I'm against hug-a-thug justice. I think crimes should have consequences, and that a promise to appear is like a guarantee to re-offend. But that said, I don't see a place for me anywhere on the right, because I'm fiscally conservative, not socially conservative.

In fact, I find social conservatism repugnant. I couldn't care less about gender issues. I value diversity, and I think religion has no role in politics. Books should be read, not banned. I could go on and on. Bottom line is that I just don't trust the values or the motivation of a party dominated by social conservatives to solve the problems of our times. And make no mistake, the problems we're facing are dire. From climate change to nuclear annihilation to artificial intelligence. The stakes are too high. We need some semblance of forward thinkers in charge, not a bunch of self-interested, out-of-touch billionaires,

conspiracy theorists, misogynists, racists, and politicians whose main talents seem to be gaslighting and rhyming catchphrases. There you go, the random rancher for this week. And there you go. That's his explanation of where he's coming from. And I appreciate those who've written in that in many ways prompted today's rant. So good for you. All right, back to letters on this question of artificial intelligence, which the rander just mentioned as one of the big issues that are facing us right now.

And it's interesting to hear the different opinions you have about whether you fear it or you're excited by it. So let's keep going here. Phyllis Allain in Moncton, New Brunswick. In terms of creativity, the thing I fear most is the loss of creativity. AI makes me sad. I want the artist's personality to come through their work, whether it be painting, writing, or works of art.

Even everyday emails, do you really need AI to tweak it to sound better? Mike Wright in Amherstburg, Ontario. It's near Windsor, right? What I fear is that AI will be used simply to push smartphone and tablet sales instead of perhaps finding a cure to a disease. How did they discover insulin and a polio vaccine years ago with little technology? Really makes me wonder. Gary Gould in Brantford, Ontario. My fear is that AI could easily be used for nefarious purposes in such areas as identity theft, destruction of communication systems, and defense systems.

Electoral interference. The list seems endless. Regulation and penalties for misuse. Although necessary, it would be hard to apply. Although a very simplistic comparison, I recall the lack of regulation when snowmobiles became popular. It took many fatalities and mishaps for the powers that be to regulate their use. Are we waiting for a mass catastrophe to prompt action? J.D. Clark in London, Ontario. In my view, AI has the potential to profoundly transform how we live and work. One of the greatest benefits is its ability to automate routine tasks, freeing up our time and energy for more creative and strategic pursuits that can drive productivity across industries and advance

the knowledge economy. As AI technology continues to evolve rapidly, it's clear that it's here to stay and it's time we embrace it. Lynn Tyler, a snowbird driving to Florida, I think from Toronto. But just guessing there. But she's on her way to Florida right now. What scares us most about AI is that we will never again know the truth. When something this volatile comes around, there are dangers only when it gets into the wrong hands. This will be in everyone's hands.

Tell me I'm wrong. Duff Jones in London, Ontario. I'm currently a PhD candidate in computer science. I'm not an AI researcher, but AI is frequently used as a tool in my research area. My colleagues whose research is more AI-focused, are doing amazing work that will be of great benefit to humanity. My fear with AI isn't about the tool itself,

but the way we talk about it. In many cases, the people with the most utopian views of AI have something to sell and want to avoid all government regulation. The products being sold are likely to exacerbate many of the political and cultural problems we currently face. The people with dystopian views of AI often imagine an AI that doesn't exist and may not even be possible. They discourage researching the positive aspects of AI for fear of the negative ones. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

Valérie Boire in Lachute, Quebec, southwest of Montreal. I've been thinking about the ELISA effect, the tendency to project human traits such as comprehension or empathy onto computer programs. Some people are already confusing natural language with real cognition. Over time, if the program can behave as if it has a mind, there may be no way to tell if it actually has mind. How will we monitor and control the technology if it confounds us so? Vanjie Wiseman in Grand Cache, Alberta. That's roughly west central Alberta.

I'm excited and hopeful for AI as it relates to helping the paralyzed walk again. Many other medical possibilities as well. Diagnosis, treatment, assisting physicians in surgery, etc. Steve Abba in Toronto. I am fearful. Fake news, doctored photographs, excerpts taken out of context to change a person's apparent position, these are not new. But the bending of the truth has been detectable and usually quickly dispensed with.

With AI, we have already seen clips of Joe Biden making speeches he never made. Day by day, we will not be able to believe our eyes or our ears as irresponsible AI produces audio, video, and any other sensory media to make us believe what was not so was so. Tony Baza in St. Catharines, Ontario. What I fear most about AI is its use on the battlefield. I doubt that Russia, China, or North Korea will set boundaries for themselves. Putin is quoted as saying, the nation that rules in AI will be the ruler of the world. Ah, but did he actually say that?

Yvonne Clifford in Cambridge, Ontario. In my 30 plus years in science education, adapting to change has been a constant. So I embraced that the philosophy is staying flexible and maintaining a good sense of humor. I began with pen and paper, moved through tools like Google, Wikipedia, smartphones, and eventually reached a point where every student had a laptop, to name just a few changes. My concern with AI is that, to use it effectively, students need a solid foundation of knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Students should be taught how to use this new AI skill responsibly, just as they would learn to safely use a Bunsen burner. Remember those? David Buchan. I think he's in Vancouver. I'm more excited than fearful about the prospect of AI because I already use it almost daily. My Tesla has FSD-assisted full self-drive and has driven me as an observer from Vancouver to Calgary

six times already. She doesn't even try to kill me on sharp curves anymore. She was not that good two years ago. Yikes. It's safer, fewer distractions, more eyes on the road, quicker reaction times, etc. than humans by far.

Just like the automobile and the bygone era of horse and buggy. AI will be transforming our world. I can't get over the self-driving stuff. I'm just sorry. I guess I'm just too old. Leo Bourdon.

I fear this in Ottawa. I fear this technology will go only to a select few that will use it to make themselves super rich. In fact, I'm afraid we're already there. Apple, Meta, Amazon, they're already all over AI saying, how can we make a buck using this? Not the cancer researcher, not the people fighting to find new technology to fight climate change.

That thought alone is disheartening. You know, listen, there's a lot of research using AI as well going on. But I think we hear what you're saying. Pat Colpitts in Winnipeg. Upon returning from a month-long winter holiday, the first time I activated Echo, an Amazon smart speaker,

with an auditory question, we were serenaded with a somewhat lengthy song welcoming us home. Needless to say, we were serenaded with a somewhat lengthy song welcoming us home. Needless to say, we were both amused and somewhat astonished. When I later addressed Echo with my morning question of, hey Echo, what's the temperature going to be today? She responded with my childhood nickname. Good morning, Coco, she said. Again, amused, but now a great deal less indifferent to the abilities of this device. These anecdotes may be very similar to other people's experiences.

To be blunt, I'm of the belief that I am not looking forward to when these AI devices are able to express emotions, influence decisions, give opinions on everyday matters. We live in an emotional fractured world. Giving in to the abilities of an entity such as AI is dangerous. It scares the hell out of me. Have you noticed what we haven't had so far on today's program? You've probably noticed that Marilyn Wallace from Fanny Bay, British Columbia, has not had her letter read yet. But now is that moment. She gets the last letter of the day.

And, you know, Marilyn always has something to say, but she's on a streak here. I don't know how many shows in a row this is. We'll see. She just slipped this one in under the wire. Not in timing, but in content. It's a little similar to some others, but let's give it a whirl. Marilyn writes, as a former educator, I worry about the implications of AI use by high school

students. I fear that students who rely on AI for their writing will miss the exploration of ideas and thoughtful reflection that naturally occurs. Great writing requires several drafts interspersed with contemplation and deep thinking. It will be difficult for students to resist the allure of AI as an easier way to finish their homework. The learning that happens during the process is much more important than the finished product. And I would not want our young learners to be deprived of such a crucial component of their intellectual growth. Thank you, Marilyn. Thanks to all of you.

You're probably wondering, how do we make out in terms of a balance here? Where were you? Were most of you fearful or were most of you excited? They asked you to basically choose a side. Well, for every one of you that chose to be excited, two of you chose to be fearful or at least wary of AI.

So that's interesting. That's kind of where we are at the moment. I think if you'd asked that question a year ago it would have been much heavier in favor of those who were fearful so the ai people and the the idea of ai has you know, by my rough research here, has gained some momentum. Maybe we'll try it again in a year from now and see what it's like then. Okay. I want to say something about next week. Next week's your turn. Usually I don't give advance warning on this,

and I don't want your letters to start coming in, but you can start writing letters. We're coming up on Remembrance Day, and you know, in my world, our military history is very, very important to me. And I know it is to many of you, because you've written about it. And you like it when I have authors on who've written books about our military history, like yesterday in our Encore edition, Tim Cook was here talking about his new book, The Good Allies.

Here's the plan for next week's Your Turn, which will be just a couple of days before Remembrance Day. If you recall, if you were with us a year ago, we did a special Your Turn on Remembrance Day by remembering something about, something personal, something about our own family history. It could have been about a great-grandfather, a grandfather, a grandmother, a father, a brother, a sister. It could be about any number of different people. But the idea was to write a letter that goes to the heart of your personal memories that you attach to Remembrance Day.

Something that on Remembrance Day, aside from wearing a poppy, watching the national services, going to your local service if you do, aside from all those things, a moment in that day where you think, you know, dad used to say, or grandma told us the story of whatever. That's what I want to hear in your letters. Now the same rules will still apply. You've got to, you know, we got a lot of these letters last year, a lot of them. And it's always best when we have a real reflection of the country and people's thoughts on an issue. So the same goes for here. Keep it relatively short.

We had to do a lot of editing today to fit all those letters in. We're prepared to do the same thing next week. But again, don't write yet. Okay. I'll mention this again on Monday and we'll start accepting letters on Monday. But if you write now, they're not going to, they're not going to get into the system. Okay, so think about it. Draft your letters. Be prepared to send them as of Monday. All right, I hope I made that clear enough. But next week will be a special Remembrance Day issue on your memories about your family or your neighbors.

It could be somebody who's close to you or was close to you. What was your memory of that experience and that day and that person? Okay. Tomorrow, Friday, it's good talk. That means Chantel and Bruce will be here with their thoughts on the week gone by. Some of the same old stories just keep on rocking in the nation's capital, so we'll find out about how those are reverberating around the national political scene. And that's it.

That's it for today. Thanks for listening. Thanks for the random ranter. Thanks for your letters. Thanks so much for your letters. They really make Thursdays

such an interesting program to listen to. All right. I'm Peter Mansbridge. Thanks for listening. And we'll talk to you again in almost a full 24 hours.