Feds reveal 6 pillars for long-touted, repeatedly delayed national AI strategy

Although it doesn’t seem in replete(p) in the in style(p) economical update, the union soldier government has unveiled the six pillars of its forthcoming AI strategy — a long-touted but repeatedly delayed document that’s expected to chart out Ottawa's goals for the evolving technology.

In its economic update, the federal government said: "Canadians want AI that is safe and sovereign, and to drive AI adoption, create new economic opportunities, strengthen public services, and improve our quality of life."

The federal government said it will achieve those objectives through six pillars:

Though light on details, the descriptions for the pillars mention "giving access to AI training and education for all Canadians," and "modern privacy and online safety laws, strong national AI safety capabilities, and secure government systems."

Plus, the federal government said Canada will "work with a variety of trusted partners to align standards, co-invest in innovation, and help Canadian companies access global markets—while shaping an AI ecosystem anchored in democratic values."

Canada 'very seriously' considering social media, AI age restrictions, Miller says

It remains unclear when exactly Canada will unveil the strategy. The 2025 federal budget said Canada would "develop a new AI strategy” by the end that year, though it did not specify if it would be presented at that time.

AI Minister Evan Solomon later told MPs on the House of Commons science and research committee in February that the "refreshed" national AI strategy would be launched "this quarter."

There was no date for the new strategy mentioned in the economic update.

In the meantime, the federal government has made other announcements related to AI development in the country, most recently launching a call for applications to develop Canada's sovereign AI supercomputing infrastructure.

According to a news release, that infrastructure will "enable the development of large-scale, Canadian-based compute infrastructure to advance AI research and innovation, while safeguarding Canada’s national interests."

Solomon has also previously held meetings with Finnish and Norwegian officials about exploring collaboration in specific areas such as expanding access to AI computer capacity and environmentally responsible digital infrastructure.

Alongside how the federal government intends to scale up Canada's AI industry, there remain questions about what steps it will take on AI safety in the wake of the horrific shootings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

In early March, Solomon met with OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, after it was revealed the shooter's ChatGPT account was banned and flagged by the company eight months before the attack devastated the small B.C. Community.

Despite the account's posts about gun violence, the company chose not to inform police until after the killings, saying the activities at the time didn't meet its threshold to do so.

In an interview after his meeting, Solomon said Altman agreed to include Canadian experts in mental health and law within OpenAI's safety office. 

He also requested that OpenAI allow experts from the Canadian AI Safety Institute, a federal body within his department, to do a full, detailed assessment of the company's new safety protocols.

In the wake of the shootings, B.C. Premier David Eby called on Ottawa to set minimum thresholds for when platforms must report threats of violence to law enforcement. 

Last week, Altman wrote a letter of apology to Tumbler Ridge for failing to alert RCMP about the shooter's account. Eby wrote on social media that the apology "is necessary, and yet grossly insufficient for the devastation done to the families of Tumbler Ridge."

Manitoba aims for first-in-Canada ban on social media, AI chatbots

Other provinces are taking some AI regulation into their own hands. Over the weekend, Manitoba announced it would be the first jurisdiction in Canada to ban youth from AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Claude.

Earlier this month, the Heritage Minister Marc Miller said the government is "very seriously" considering whether to restrict young Canadians' access to social media platforms and artificial intelligence chatbots, but hasn't reached a decision yet.

Associate Producer

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