Canada’s AI Strategy Signals a New Era for Defence and Security
AI Strategy Overview
The federal governments newly released National Artificial Intelligence Strategy positions AI not only as an economic driver, but increasingly as a critical component of Canada’s defence and national security framework.
While much of the public discussion surrounding the strategy has focused on productivity, jobs, and innovation, the strategy makes clear that AI is becoming a strategic capability with direct implications for national defence, cyber resilience, and Canada’s broader sovereignty agenda.
The Key Theme
A key theme throughout the strategy is the importance of reducing Canada’s reliance on foreign technology infrastructure. To support this goal, the government has committed to expanding sovereign AI infrastructure, including the development of a world-leading public supercomputer and increased domestic compute capacity. These investments are intended to ensure that critical Canadian data, research, and defence related AI applications can be developed and operated under Canadian control.
AI-Enabled Security
The strategy also places significant emphasis on AI-enabled security capabilities. The government plans to accelerate the deployment of AI technologies for fraud prevention, cyber defence, threat detection, and data protection in collaboration with law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and security partners. As cyber threats continue to evolve in complexity and scale, AI is increasingly viewed as an essential tool for identifying vulnerabilities and responding to emerging risks.
Canada’s defence industrial base is also expected to benefit from expanded AI adoption. The strategy identifies manufacturing and robotics as priority sectors, noting that industrial AI technologies will play an important role in strengthening advanced manufacturing and defence production capabilities. Sector investments will prioritize dual use of technologies that support both commercial innovation and national security objectives, aligning with the federal government’s recently released Defence Industrial Strategy.
International Partnerships
International partnerships form another important pillar of the strategy. Over the past year, Canada has signed 20 new economic and defence partnerships, including 11 agreements that specifically advance cooperation on AI. These initiatives cover areas such as AI safety standards, sovereign infrastructure, industrial applications, and defence technologies.
One notable example is the Canada-Germany Sovereign Technology Alliance, launched in February 2026. The partnership aims to deepen collaboration on AI research, digital infrastructure, and defence related technologies while promoting secure, interoperable systems among trusted democratic allies. Canada is also advancing defence AI cooperation with partners including the UK and other NATO allies.
Next Steps:
Taken together, these initiatives demonstrate how AI policy is increasingly intersecting with defence policy. As governments around the world race to develop advanced AI capabilities, Canada’s strategy reflects a growing recognition that economic competitiveness, technological sovereignty, and national security are becoming deeply interconnected.