OTTAWA — Canada released its new AI strategy on Thursday, making a bid to lead the world’s middle powers as they race to build sovereign AI capabilities. The Liberal government plan also pledged to treat AI as critical infrastructure on par with energy and defense.
The “AI for All” strategy seeks to reduce reliance on U.S. tech giants and chart its own path in a global AI race dominated by the United States and China. But Ottawa says it cannot go it alone.
Canada plans to work closely with international partners to strengthen its AI industry, attract top talent and export its technology.
The strategy identifies a group of like-minded allies pursuing greater AI independence, including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Finland, Norway and the European Union. It also highlights partnerships with Indo-Pacific countries such as Japan, Australia and India, as well as the United Arab Emirates.
The framework suggests Canada wants to become a global leader in AI by helping businesses and people to use AI widely and safely.
For starters, Canadians need to trust AI.
Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon has spent the past year highlighting that public confidence in AI will determine its rise or fall.
“Technology moves at the speed of innovation, but adoption moves at the speed of trust,” he often says.
The report emphasizes that Canadians deeply lack trust in AI. To address those concerns, the government plans to modernize federal privacy laws and introduce legislation aimed at protecting children online, while continuing efforts to combat AI-generated deepfakes and other online harms.
Trust has also been on the mind of Prime Minister Mark Carney. Last week, he spoke to Pope Leo XIV, who the prime minister considers a leader in the field of AI ethics. They discussed how the technology “must serve humanity, beginning with the protection of the individual,” a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Carney, a practicing Catholic, has also adopted language that echoes the Vatican’s emerging approach to artificial intelligence, emphasizing trust, human dignity and responsible innovation.
The strategy also calls for more Canadian-owned data centers, cloud infrastructure and semiconductor capacity to reduce the reliance on foreign companies. The Liberal government previously announced it would build a supercomputer by 2031.
Canada also wants to make sure its businesses, especially small- and medium-sized companies, have the resources and capabilities to take advantage of AI and compete internationally. The Liberal government will concentrate its AI investments in five sectors: health and life sciences, energy and natural resources, transportation, agriculture, and manufacturing and robotics.
The strategy also includes measures to bring AI into classrooms, support business adoption of the technology and provide funding to help Canadian firms compete in global markets.