The federal government’s spring economic update has provided the clearest indication yet of the priorities for its long-promised national artificial intelligence strategy. A section of the fiscal update outlines six “pillars,” organized under a unifying vision of “artificial intelligence for all.”
Leading the list is “protecting Canadians and safeguarding our democracy,” acknowledging deep public skepticism about AI. “AI will only deliver on its promise if Canadians trust it,” the statement reads. That pillar includes modern privacy and online safety laws, strong national AI safety capabilities, and secure government systems. A spokesperson for AI Minister Evan Solomon’s office confirmed that forthcoming legislation will update PIPEDA, covering copyright, intellectual property, and data sovereignty.
Other pillars include “Empowering Canadians” through AI education and skills training; “Powering AI adoption for shared prosperity” for small businesses and the public service; “Building the Canadian sovereign AI foundation” with sovereign compute infrastructure; “Scaling Canadian champions” by unlocking growth capital; and “Building trusted partnerships and global alliances.”
Sonja Solomun, deputy director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at McGill University, called the safety-first pillar a “discernible shift” in priorities. However, she noted notable omissions, including regulations for AI chatbots and transparency on accountability. She also pointed to the lack of a framework for the environmental costs of rapidly scaling data centers, calling it a “major misstep.”