After months of delay, the federal government is unveiling its AI strategy that outlines a vision focused on job creation, sovereignty and increased AI adoption.
But the plan lacks details on how Canadians will be protected from the technology’s potentially adverse effects.
Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement alongside Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon in Toronto on Thursday, describing AI as the “defining technology of our era.”
“With our new strategy, that’s how we will help shape how we use AI. To ensure that in Canada, AI works for all Canadians all of the time. To build a Canada that’s not just strong, not just intelligent, but good,” Carney later added.
The strategy sets several specific goals such as:
- Create up to 90,000 AI-related jobs and work opportunities for young Canadians by 2031
- Help create up to 250,000 new jobs through AI adoption by 2031
- Boost AI among businesses from 12 per cent today to 60 per cent by 2034
- Build a “world-leading” supercomputer to boost sovereign infrastructure by 2031
- Provide all Canadians with access to free AI literacy training
The plan is also organized around six pillars that were first outlined in the spring economic update in April: protecting Canadians and safeguarding democracy, empowering Canadians, powering shared prosperity, building a sovereign AI foundation, scaling Canadian champions and building trusted partnerships and global alliances.
Did strategy factor potential job loss?
The strategy explicitly pledges to help create 250,000 jobs by 2031 and generate an additional $200 billion of economic growth.
But the Conference Board of Canada recently projected that AI and automation could lead to an initial loss of 550,000 jobs by 2030 as businesses restructure.
In a technical briefing with reporters prior to Thursday’s announcement, government officials said they don’t contest or agree with the Conference Board of Canada report, but will “monitor the impacts of potential displacements.”
“We have done a high adoption scenario to be able to understand what we believe will be created as a function of sectors on a high adoption scale,” the official said.
Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman said her party doesn’t believe the job creation projection, while pointing to the current state of the economy.
“We don’t believe the Liberals when they say that they’ll create 90,000 jobs when we have lost more than 112,000 jobs just since January in this country,” Lantsman said to reporters in Ottawa.
No specifics on safety measures
The strategy says it aims to protect Canadians, particularly children, against AI risks and online harms.
While it proposes new consumer privacy legislation to enshrine a right to privacy and safeguard children’s information – along with a modernization of safety laws – the plan is vague on a timeline and what specific measures will be put forward to do so.
Earlier this year, Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller said the federal government is considering banning AI chatbots for kids under the age of 16. Those restrictions are not included here as there is a current review to determine whether they should be integrated into online harms legislation set for later this year.
The strategy also emphasizes a push for Canadians to build trust with AI.
But recently, Pope Leo XIV released a sweeping manifesto, calling for robust regulation of AI.
“We must avoid the misconception of equating this type of ‘intelligence’ with that of human beings,” the Pope wrote.
Asked directly about the Pope’s assessment, Carney defended the use of AI.
“We will ensure that our data privacy and children are protected…We will ensure sovereignty is reinforced, and we will do everything we can to make sure that AI is working for people, as opposed to replacing,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, Lantsman criticized the strategy for a “lack of detail.”
“The safety and the security that was promised in this is nowhere to be found in the documents,” Lantsman said. “Certainly, no details…Canadians at kitchen tables and boardroom tables are concerned about the increased invasion into Canadian privacy.”
Boosting AI adoption for economic growth
According to the strategy, Canada has a “major adoption gap” with only 12 per cent of Canadian businesses using AI between 2024 to 2025, rising to 14.5 per cent by mid-2026.
The document also cites a study from KPMG– University of Melbourne global trust study, which ranks Canada 44th of 47 countries on AI training and literacy.
As a result, the strategy aims to boost AI adoption among businesses from 12 per cent to 60 per cent by 2034.
To help with that, some goals include creating a national AI literacy initiative and pledging to train 1 million post-secondary students.
The federal government also plans to add $700 million through the Compute Access Fund to help small and medium businesses (SMEs) enhance AI access, along with hundreds of millions of dollars to help with AI financing and adoption through the Business Development Bank of Canada and the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative.
Emphasis on AI sovereignty
Leading up to Thursday’s announcement, Carney has emphasized the need to build sovereign AI infrastructure.
The strategy, meanwhile, highlights how Canada is currently “over-exposed to foreign economic and political powers,” relying on foreign clouds and infrastructure that could lead to “strategic exposure.”
In a bid to address this, the strategy says Canada will adopt a “build-partner-buy” approach, saying it will build “key sovereign capabilities domestically whenever possible, while partnering with trusted allies or buying existing market solutions when appropriate.”
Some of the strategy’s other proposals include building a “world-leading” supercomputer and expanding sovereign data centres capable of 100 megawatts to serve Canadian clients.
The strategy also says Canada will expand a newly formed Sovereign Technology Alliance it launched with Germany earlier this year, which aims to deepen AI collaboration with trusted allies.
