Canadian AI Strategy: OTTAWA — The Canadian government’s long-promised AI strategy landed Thursday. It’s called “AI for All.” The 50-page document promises more than $2 billion in new spending and sets a target of 60 per cent of businesses using AI within a decade. The parts that would actually shield people from deepfakes, job loss, and chatbot-assisted violence are barely there.

At a Toronto hospital launch, Prime Minister Mark Carney told the crowd, “AI could be weaponised against us. We have to be honest about the risk that AI poses to Canadians.” That blunt talk doesn’t show up in the plan, opposition critics say. They’re not wrong.

Billions in Spending, Big Job Promises

A major pillar of the Canadian AI Strategy is its commitment to invest heavily in the country’s artificial intelligence ecosystem. The federal government has pledged $2 billion in funding to accelerate AI growth, innovation, and adoption across Canada. Of that amount, $500 million will be directed toward direct investments in Canadian AI companies, with the government expected to take equity stakes in selected firms. This aspect of the Canadian AI Strategy is designed to strengthen homegrown AI businesses and help them compete on a global scale.

Another $500 million has been allocated to encourage businesses to adopt AI technologies and integrate them into their daily operations. In addition, $50 million will support creators and artists, giving them access to AI tools while ensuring they can use the technology on their own terms. Through these investments, the Canadian AI Strategy aims to position Canada as a leader in the rapidly expanding AI economy.

The government also believes the Canadian AI Strategy could create as many as 250,000 jobs by expanding AI adoption across multiple industries. However, while the strategy highlights job creation, it does not estimate how many existing jobs could be displaced by automation. This omission quickly drew criticism from economists, labour groups, and policy experts, who argue that any comprehensive Canadian AI Strategy should address both opportunities and potential workforce disruptions.

The adoption goals outlined in the Canadian AI Strategy are equally ambitious. Statistics Canada data referenced in the plan shows that only 12 percent of Canadian businesses were using AI between mid-2024 and mid-2025. The government now wants that figure to rise to 60 percent by 2034, signaling a dramatic transformation in how businesses operate over the next decade.

Sovereignty, a Supercomputer, and the Brain Drain

One of the more strategic components of the Canadian AI Strategy focuses on digital sovereignty. The document acknowledges that a significant amount of Canadian data is currently stored on foreign servers and that government agencies often rely on infrastructure beyond Canada’s control. To address this issue, the Canadian AI Strategy proposes building a world-class public supercomputer along with large-scale AI data centres located on Canadian soil. The goal is to significantly expand domestic computing capacity by 2030 and reduce dependence on foreign infrastructure.

The strategy also confronts Canada’s ongoing AI talent challenge. It openly describes the migration of top AI researchers to the United States as an “uncomfortable reality.” The Canadian AI Strategy points to notable examples, including Nobel Prize-winning AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton and OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, both of whom pursued major opportunities outside Canada.

To combat this talent drain, the Canadian AI Strategy includes new research fellowships, additional university chairs, and a streamlined immigration pathway for highly skilled AI professionals. Policymakers hope these initiatives will help retain Canadian talent while attracting leading experts from around the world.

3-1024x585 Canadian AI Strategy: 7 Powerful Critical Changes You Need to Know

Health Care and a Trip to the Library

Healthcare represents another significant investment area within the Canadian AI Strategy. The federal government plans to dedicate $200 million toward AI-driven healthcare initiatives. Although healthcare largely falls under provincial jurisdiction, the government believes AI can play a critical role in improving patient care and reducing administrative burdens.

The Canadian AI Strategy highlights Europe’s progress in medical imaging, where AI technologies have already become widely integrated into diagnostic workflows. Canadian leaders hope similar applications can help doctors spend less time on paperwork and more time focusing on patients. If implemented effectively, the healthcare portion of the Canadian AI Strategy could improve efficiency while supporting better healthcare outcomes.

Public trust remains another major challenge. Government polling cited in the Canadian AI Strategy reveals that nearly half of Canadians view AI as a threat to humanity, while more than one-third believe it could harm society. To address these concerns, Ottawa plans to partner with public libraries to offer entry-level AI education and training programs.

This educational component of the Canadian AI Strategy is intended to improve AI literacy, increase public understanding, and build greater confidence in emerging technologies. The strategy itself acknowledges that Canada currently ranks relatively low among comparable countries when it comes to AI trust and public awareness.

Safety? Important Details Are Still Missing

While the Canadian AI Strategy outlines significant investments and ambitious goals, critics argue that it falls short when it comes to safety and regulation.

Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman summarized one of the most common concerns, stating that the promised safety and security measures are largely absent from the document. Although the government says it intends to introduce new laws covering consumer privacy, children’s protections, and online safety, the Canadian AI Strategyprovides few specifics. There are no clear timelines, draft legislation, or details regarding how future regulations would be enforced.

These concerns are not merely theoretical. Earlier this year, a suspect involved in a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, reportedly used ChatGPT to discuss gun violence before the attack. The incident sparked significant public debate after it was revealed that OpenAI was aware of the interactions but did not notify law enforcement authorities. The controversy intensified concerns about AI oversight and has become one of the examples critics cite when questioning the safety framework of the Canadian AI Strategy.

Digital rights advocates have also expressed frustration over the lack of concrete safeguards. One researcher noted that governments cannot promote widespread AI adoption while simultaneously acknowledging the growing risks posed by deepfakes, misinformation, and unsafe chatbot behavior without clearly explaining what protections will be implemented and when.

At the same time, the federal government released a separate internal plan focused on AI use within the public service. That framework addresses governance, transparency, talent development, and institutional capacity through a new Centre of Expertise. However, critics argue that these measures focus primarily on government operations rather than the broader societal protections many Canadians expected from the Canadian AI Strategy.

As debate continues, the success of the Canadian AI Strategy may ultimately depend not only on its investments and innovation goals but also on its ability to address growing public concerns about safety, accountability, and responsible AI governance.

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Canada’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: AI for All

What comes next

Carney’s office says legislative proposals will land in the House of Commons this autumn. No guarantee they pass before an election, though. The industry committee gets a briefing in two weeks.

Creative destruction happens whether governments publish strategies or not. For now, Canadian AI researchers and venture capitalists are waiting to see if the investment and immigration promises move fast enough to stem the talent drain. And for the millions of Canadians who’ve never touched an AI tool, the most concrete thing in this 50-page plan might just be the bit about training at the local library. That isn’t exactly a firebreak against deepfakes.

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