Canada launches national AI strategy to create 250,000 jobs

Canada announced a comprehensive national artificial‑intelligence strategy aimed at creating 250,000 AI‑related jobs within five years and boosting the country's GDP by about 3 % by 2034. The plan, dubbed “AI for All,” includes a CAD 1 billion investment in computing power, a CAD 500 million Canadian Technology Growth Fund for equity stakes in domestic AI firms, and additional CAD 200 million for health‑AI projects and CAD 500 million from the Business Development Bank of Canada to help small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises adopt AI tools.

Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that Canada “depends heavily on foreign suppliers for the infrastructure that powers AI,” saying this creates “real risks that foreign entities could access Canadian data and deploy AI products that influence Canadians’ lives without reflecting our values.” The strategy also proposes regulatory updates to privacy law, stronger digital protections for minors, and a CAD 50 million grant to the Canadian Institute for AI Security for independent audits. Industry players such as Cohere, which recently acquired Germany’s Aleph Alpha, are positioned as partners in the effort to reduce reliance on overseas AI providers.