AI Updates in Canada
Federal AI News
PM Carney named Evan Solomon the Minister of Artificial Intelligence. The new Minister has been out talking about AI in Canada since his appointment. The following are Minister Solomon’s top-level messages:
- Paradigm shift: AI and quantum technology as a ‘Gutenberg‑like moment,’ coinciding with geopolitical instability that threatens the rules‑based order.
- Ministry rationale: A new Ministry of AI & Digital Innovation was created because incremental policy cannot manage the scale of technological and societal disruption ahead.
- Mission: Leverage AI to boost productivity, protect sovereignty, and ensure all Canadians benefit, while guarding privacy and democratic values.
- Four Pillars
- Scale – Grow Canadian AI champions (e.g., Cohere, ThinkOn) through targeted funding and procurement, eschewing scatter‑shot ‘sprinkler’
- Adoption – Incentivize SMEs to deploy AI with tax credits, flow‑through shares, and AI‑as‑a‑service programs.
- Trust – Embed privacy‑by‑design, transparency, and human oversight to earn public confidence (only ~‑30 % currently trust AI).
- Sovereignty – Build Canadian‑owned data centres/cloud, protect IP, and link dual‑use tech to national defence.
- Government Canada plans to:
- Support for regional development agencies (e.g., FedDev) to act as ‘force multipliers’ for local AI initiatives.
- Champion domestic scale‑ups, retain IP, protect patents, and embed Canadian AI in public services (e.g., CRA chatbots).
- Regulation should prevent harm without stifling innovation—“not a saddle on the bucking bronco.”
- Abundant clean power underpins cost‑efficient, green data centres—an AI super‑
- Aim to be a bridge‑builder for responsible AI standards, leveraging Canada’s ethics reputation.
British Columbia
- Premier Eby recently named Rick Glumac the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies.
- He has been ask to:
- Work with business leaders in AI, life sciences, quantum computing and new technologies to identify opportunities for investment in British Columbia that lead to well-paying jobs for BC residents.
- Identify opportunities to increase business, nonprofit and government adoption of AI tools to enhance productivity.
- Work with education partners to support increased access to new technology training and literacy programs for British Columbians to benefit from employment opportunities.
- Work with partners to promote BC’s AI, quantum, life sciences and new technology companies and research nationally and internationally.
- Ensure BC is front and centre in federal government decisions about law and policy related to new technologies.
- Advocate strongly to the federal government for BC’s fair share of funding to support the development of the emerging and low-carbon economy.