Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made another pre-budget announcement on Sunday, this time to unveil measures totaling $2.4 billion “to build the Canadian advantage” in artificial intelligence (AI).
These investments aim to accelerate job growth in Canada’s AI sector, helping companies develop and adopt AI in key sectors, such as agriculture, healthcare and manufacturing. The objective is to allow Canada “to remain a world leader in AI and be at the cutting edge of new technologies.”
Mr. Trudeau made the announcement at a press conference on Sunday in Montreal, where he met with professionals to discuss innovation promoting economic growth.
Of this sum, $2 billion will be used to develop the necessary technological infrastructure. A new Fund for access to computing power for AI will be launched to offer short-term support to researchers and industry.
The federal government also plans to develop a new Canadian AI Sovereign Computing Strategy to stimulate the development of Canadian-owned and located AI infrastructure.
Sunday’s announcement also provides for the investment of 100 million in an aid program for small and medium-sized businesses and 50 million in the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, for training and acquisition of new skills to workers in potentially affected sectors and communities.
It also provides an envelope of 50 million for the creation of the new Canadian Institute for Artificial Intelligence Security, in order to promote the secure development and deployment of AI.
Furthermore, the Trudeau government intends to strengthen the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Actby investing 5.1 million in the Artificial Intelligence and Data Commission.
The sums allocated for the measures announced Sunday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are found in the 2024 federal budget which will be tabled on April 16 in the House of Commons by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
In 2022-2023, more than 140,000 professionals were actively working in the field of AI in Canada, an increase of 29% compared to the previous year, according to government data.