Canada unveils $2.3 B “AI for All” strategy, targeting 250,000 jobs and a 3% GDP boost

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada’s new national artificial‑intelligence plan, “AI for All,” backed by roughly C$2.3 billion in funding. The strategy aims to close a major adoption gap – raising AI use in Canadian businesses from about 12 % to 60 % by 2034 – and to create up to 250,000 AI‑related jobs by 2031, including 90,000 positions for young workers. Key investments include a C$500 million Canadian Tech Growth Fund, a C$500 million Regional AI Initiative, an additional C$50 million for the Canadian AI Safety Institute, and a C$200 million health‑AI mission. The plan also launches a free national AI‑literacy program for all Canadians, targeting one‑million post‑secondary students and training 3,000 teachers, and proposes new legislation to protect privacy, curb surveillance‑pricing, curb deep‑fakes and ensure safe chatbot interactions. It calls for a sovereign public super‑computer, expanded compute capacity, and stronger AI research institutes. Critics from the Conservatives and NDP say the document lacks detail on safety, privacy and implementation, but the government says the approach is “pro‑worker” and will add about 3 % to Canada’s GDP, roughly C$200 billion, over the next decade.