The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister,
Canada’s Innovation, Science and Industry
Minister François-Philippe Champagne highlights groundbreaking initiatives driving innovation and inclusivity in Canada’s AI sector.
I was recently in Silicon Valley, where I met with the CEO of one of the hottest AI chip technology companies. The first thing he did, was to put up a slide with a picture of the chips his company uses to power their supercomputers.
You know what it said on that chip? It said Canada! — In big red letters. That was further proof for me that when it comes to AI, Canada is a true leader. We’ve been at the forefront of the AI revolution. We have the world’s top AI researchers. We’ve got more than 140-thousand workers, our AI sector is a driver of job creation, economic growth and innovation.
Today, many of our Canadian AI startups have grown into champions. And they are developing quickly. That’s why we’ve never hesitated to support the ecosystem.
We were the first country in the world to launch a funded national AI strategy, turning heads and attracting global talent to our shores. This wasn’t just a government initiative – it was a declaration that Canada would shape AI’s future.
Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, we have helped build a vibrant AI ecosystem in Canada, working with key partners such as CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research), the three national AI institutes based in Edmonton, Montréal and Toronto, and Canada’s five Global Innovation Clusters, to build a base of world-class talent in AI, advance research excellence, and drive the responsible adoption of AI across Canada’s economy and society.
Our government has been and continues to be proactive with over $4 billion in federal investments in AI. Through programs like our Global Innovation Clusters, we are strategically powering the initiatives that matter. And when it comes to the competitiveness of Canada’s small and medium-sized businesses specifically, we understand that AI adoption is no longer optional, but essential. To that end, the AI Assist Program, delivered by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), provides hands-on support for small businesses looking to build and implement AI systems. Additionally, our Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative, delivered through Canada’s Regional Economic Development Agencies, is designed to help small businesses integrate AI solutions in key sectors like agriculture, clean technology, healthcare, and manufacturing. Taken together, these initiatives are helping make AI technologies accessible to businesses of all sizes.
Access to cutting-edge compute infrastructure is also critical to supporting AI adoption in Canada. To address this need, we recently launched the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, which focuses on growing Canadian AI champions, building transformational public computing infrastructure, and providing affordable access to compute power for small and medium-sized enterprises. These efforts will enable businesses and researchers to develop made-in-Canada AI products and drive research.
As part of this strategy, the government announced an investment of up to $240 million in Cohere, a Toronto-based AI leader—the first investment through the new $2 billion Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy. This investment will enable Cohere to secure enough private capital to incentivize its strategic partners to build a new cutting-edge, multi-billion dollar AI data centre in Canada. The new AI data centre will come online in 2025 and enable Cohere, and other firms across Canada’s thriving AI ecosystem, to access the domestic compute capacity they need to build the next generation of AI solutions here at home.
I want to underscore that digital inclusion is at the heart of the government’s strategy. That’s why many of Canada’s initiatives specifically support Indigenous-owned businesses, rural enterprises, and businesses led by members of equity-deserving groups. This commitment ensures AI’s benefits extend to all corners of Canadian society and is in line with Canadian values.
To build a robust AI workforce, we’re investing heavily in education and training. Scale AI, one of our Global Innovation Clusters, is developing talent and upskilling workers across industries. Our partnerships with universities and colleges are creating a pipeline of skilled AI professionals. Under the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, Canada continues to attract and retain the best and brightest in AI research and innovation.
This strategy is working; today, Canada is not just participating in the AI race – we’re leading it. Our researchers are publishing papers at a pace that far exceeds other G7 nations. And when it comes to cultivating talent in the field, especially among women, we’re setting the global pace.
At the same time, we’re eyes wide open about some the risks related to the use of AI.. If we want to move from fear to opportunity, we need to build trust. And the way to build trust is through thoughtful and transparent regulation. That’s why we’ve proposed the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA), a framework to guide AI innovation in a positive direction while ensuring strict requirements to mitigate potential harms. AIDA isn’t red tape; it’s a clear path to responsible innovation.
As this legislation makes its way through Parliament, we’ve implemented a Voluntary Code of Conduct for Advanced Generative AI Systems. Given AI’s rapid evolution, this Code provides immediate guidance for responsible development, with major players like IBM, Mastercard, and Telus already demonstrating their commitment by signing on.
The Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute – which I was honoured to officially launch in November – serves as a national hub for advancing the science of AI safety. Working with partners like the NRC, CIFAR, and international counterparts, it conducts vital research to help governments understand and address the risks associated with advanced AI systems.
On the international stage, Canada isn’t just participating in global AI governance – we’re helping write the rulebook. Through our ongoing leadership in G7, G20, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Network of AI Safety Institutes, and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, we’re ensuring Canadian values of innovation, responsibility, and inclusivity play a key role in shaping AI’s global future.
Here’s the bottom line: while others talk about AI’s future, Canada is building it. We’re creating an AI ecosystem that’s not just powerful, but purposeful. Not just innovative, but inclusive. Not just Canadian, but global in impact.
This isn’t just about maintaining our edge – it’s about defining what that edge should be. In a world grappling with AI’s implications, Canada isn’t asking for permission to lead. We’re showing what leadership looks like.
To learn more, visit ised-isde.canada.ca
