Appearance before the Standing Committee on Science and Research (SRSR) by the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

3 December 2025

Table of contents

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Innovation and Scientific research concerning AI

Question: How can Canada strengthen its leadership in artificial intelligence research by supporting innovation, addressing institutional challenges, and ensuring the responsible translation and protection of Canadian scientific discoveries?

Key messages:

  • Artificial intelligence (AI) research holds the potential to enhance economic prosperity and solve major societal challenges
  • Since 2017, the Government of Canada has invested $3 billion in fundamental and applied AI research, talent, and digital research infrastructure. Budget 2025 further supports this broad effort through a number of measures, including on AI infrastructure and supports for talent attraction
  • The government is committed to maintaining Canada's global leadership for leading-edge AI research, and to turning research into innovations that benefit Canadians and the economy. This is at the heart of our work to develop Canada's next AI Strategy, which we will look forward to delivering in the coming months
  • By strengthening collaboration across academia, industry, and government, Canada can turn world-class AI research into responsible innovation that protects intellectual assets, drives economic growth, and delivers tangible benefits to Canadians

Supplementary messages:

  • The Government of Canada's actions will increase productivity and enhance trust in Canada's digital economy. The government is also working within Canada and with global partners to create consistent policies on artificial intelligence (AI) development, adoption, safety and security
  • The government is strengthening Canada's AI research ecosystem by investing in talent and infrastructure, promoting responsible research practices, and helping turn discoveries into real-world benefits
  • By encouraging collaboration between researchers and industry, enabling responsible data and intellectual property management, and promoting commercialization, the government is driving innovation while safeguarding Canadian technologies and maintaining public trust

Backgrounder:

  • While Canada's academic and research institutions have established globally recognized strengths in artificial intelligence (AI), they require predictable long-term funding, access to advanced digital infrastructure, and mechanisms to attract and retain diverse talent and foster collaboration between technical and non-technical disciplines to maintain competitiveness and translate research into societal and economic benefits. Recent investments in AI compute through the Canadian Sovereign Compute Strategy totalling $1 billion and investments announced in Budget 2025 for research and talent attraction will allow Canada to remain competitive with its international peers
  • Recent advances in AI are transforming both how the technology works and how it is used in everyday life. Researchers are making major breakthroughs in powerful foundational AI models, systems that can reason and learn more like humans, and methods that keep data private and secure. These innovations are leading to real-world progress in health, scientific discovery, climate solutions, and industry, with new generative AI tools boosting creativity and productivity. At the same time, growing focus on safety, transparency, and accountability aims to ensure that AI technologies are used responsibly and for the benefit of society
  • World-renowned AI pioneers calling Canada home, including Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, and Richard Sutton, established the foundational research for modern AI. These top AI researchers serve as magnets, attracting and nurturing the next generation of Canada's AI talent and fostering a continued and growing academic AI ecosystem that contributes to Canada's high international rankings on AI research metrics. In 2025, Canada was rated fifth in the world for the number of highly-cited AI publications according to Stanford's AI index. Per researcher, the Canada CIFAR AI Chairs are third highest impact AI research group in the world, trailing only Google and the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, and leading Meta, MIT, Oxford, Stanford, Tsinghua, and many others
  • Canadian AI research institutes are driving foundational discoveries and diverse real-world applications across critical sectors. As examples, the Vector Institute is addressing environmental and community challenges through innovations like the open-source Aardvark Weather model, which delivers fast, efficient weather forecasts using 1,000 times less computing power. At Mila, foundational breakthroughs led by top researchers like Yoshua Bengio, such as Generative Flow Networks (GFlowNets), accelerate the discovery of new drug molecules and therapeutic candidates for disease treatment. Amii is applying artificial intelligence for social good and industrial efficiency, supporting projects focused on issues like minimizing energy use in pipeline systems and fighting wildfires
  • Canada's research centres, universities, and public institutes face growing pressures to sustain world-class AI research amid rising costs for compute and data infrastructure, competition for global talent, and limited flexible funding to support interdisciplinary collaboration across science, engineering, health, and social science domains. Budget 2025 announced the International Talent Attraction Strategy and Action Plan, which among other measures proposes to provide $1 billion over 13 years, starting in 2025-26, to the federal granting councils to recruit exceptional international researchers to Canadian universities. As part of the work to develop Canada's next AI strategy, task force members have been asked to provide their insights specifically on what is needed to grow, retain, and attract top-tier AI talent in Canada
  • Diffusion of AI discoveries is ensured via prolific publications (e.g., Mila's over 700 articles) and open-source tools like Vector's SegMate for satellite imagery, promoting global access and collaboration. Valorization drives industry adoption, generating economic value, such as the support for 91 startups by Amii
  • Protection of scientific discoveries in AI centres on responsible AI governance through ethical frameworks, such as Amii's Principled AI. Institutes conduct safety research (Mila's Safe AI for Humanity) and develop bias mitigation tools (Vector's UnBIAS), while advising on policies like the Voluntary Code of Conduct

Securing Canada's global AI advantage

Question: What is the Government of Canada doing to secure its global advantage in artificial intelligence (AI) and to ensure this new technology is developed and used responsibly?

Key messages:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly advancing in capability and opportunity, and the Government is positioning Canada to lead
  • The Government of Canada is working to build sovereign AI infrastructure, scale up Canadian AI champions, accelerate adoption of AI across the economy to fuel productivity and economic growth, and promote trust that the privacy and data of Canadians are protected
  • The Government of Canada recently held a 30-day national sprint to inform a new National AI Strategy. This included receiving input from a 28-members AI Strategy Task Force and an open consultation that gathered over 11,000 submissions from the public
  • Over the coming months, the Government will set out a renewed AI strategy to maintain Canada's AI advantage and unleash its potential for economic growth and adoption

Supplementary messages:

  • The Government of Canada is committed to strategically accelerating the development of nation-building data and AI infrastructure in Canada
  • Canada was the first country in the world to launch a funded national AI strategy—the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy (PCAIS)—focused on advancing AI research capacity. Introduced in Budget 2017, PCAIS has invested approximately $742 million to date to strengthen Canada's talent base and global competitiveness in AI
  • The $2 billion Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy has made strategic investments in public and commercial infrastructure to ensure that Canadian innovators, researchers, and businesses have access to compute capacity they need to secure Canada's AI advantage
  • Through strategic investments, Canada is home to a world-class AI research ecosystem and over 3,300 firms developing AI solutions and products, supported by the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy and the Sovereign AI Compute Strategy
  • Strategic partnerships, like the recent memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Cohere, will enable the Government to support innovative Canadian companies and promote digital sovereignty while enabling increased efficiency and improved service delivery within the Government
  • A number of Canadian laws already apply to AI, including the Personal Information and Protection of Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the Copyright Act, the Criminal Code, and sectoral laws such as the Food and Drugs Act. Moving forward, a key regulatory focus of the government will be to ensure that Canadians' data and privacy is appropriately protected
  • To further address Canadians' concerns, the Government has launched several initiatives to support the safe and responsible development and deployment of AI systems, including the Voluntary Code of Conduct for Advanced AI Systems and the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI)

Background:

Canada was the first country in the world to launch a national AI strategy, the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS), in 2017. Through Budgets 2017 and 2021, and the 2024 Fall Economic Statement, the Government has invested some $742 million in the PCAIS. A key outcome of the Strategy was the creation of three national AI institutes (NAIIs) to anchor the Canadian ecosystem: Mila in Montreal; the Vector Institute in Toronto; and, Amii in Edmonton.

Building on these initial investments, Budget 2024 outlined measures to secure Canada's global AI advantage, including:

  • $2 billion to build and provide access to compute and technological infrastructure for Canada's world-leading AI researchers, start-ups, and scale-ups through the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy (SCS) launched in December 2024. The Strategy is based on three pillars:
    1. Grow private sector AI champions through a $700 million AI Compute Challenge
    2. Offset compute resource costs up to $300 million for Canadian innovators and businesses with the AI Compute Access Fund
    3. Build public supercomputing infrastructure for up to $1 billion to meet the needs of researchers, government, and industry. This includes funding of $705 million through the AI Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program (SCIP) to build a state-of-the-art, Canada-owned supercomputing system; $95 million for a secure computing facility to be led by Shared Services Canada (SSC) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC); and $200 million as near-term investments in:
      1. The NAIIs and the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC) to expand existing compute infrastructure to address immediate needs
      2. VITAL to establish digital infrastructure for AI computing leveraging Canadian health data
      3. NRC to update and expand its compute facility
  • $200 million from Canada's Regional Development Agencies to boost AI start-ups to bring new technologies to market, and accelerating AI adoption in critical sectors
  • $100 million in the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) AI Assist Program to help small and medium-sized businesses scale up and increase productivity by building and deploying new AI solutions
  • $50 million over four years for a Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program to support workers who are impacted by AI
  • $50 million over five years to create the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI), to further the safe development and deployment of AI

The 2024 Fall Economic Statement further dedicated $150 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, for the Global Innovation Clusters, and $24 million over two years, starting in 2025-26, for the National AI Institutes to support the continuation of their AI commercialization activities.

Budget 2025 signals the Government's intent to support sovereign AI data-centre projects through memoranda of understanding with strategic partners and investments via the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Budget 2025 also proposes $4.5 million annually (ongoing) for Statistics Canada's Artificial Intelligence and Technology Measurement Program, to be fully sourced from existing departmental resources. In addition, Budget 2025 proposes $925.6 million over five years to support large-scale sovereign public AI infrastructure to bolster AI compute capacity for public and private research (including $800 million already provisioned).

Canada is an international leader on AI, having co-founded with France the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) in June 2020. Since then, Canada has continued to engage actively and demonstrate its leadership in GPAI – under the integrated partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - as well as other key multilateral forums related to AI governance, such as AI Summits, G7, G20, Council of Europe's Committee on AI, United Nations (UN), and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Launched in 2023, Canada's Voluntary Code of Conduct for the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems sets out practices that organizations can implement to address risks associated with AI. The Code now counts 46 organisations as signatories. These have committed to adopting risk-mitigation measures related to the development and management of AI systems, demonstrating their commitment to safe and responsible AI. The recently released implementation guide is designed to help managers of AI systems, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), implement the Code's measures.

CAISI was launched in November 2024 to advance the science of AI safety through research on the capabilities and risks of advanced AI systems. CAISI conducts research in two key ways: it funds Canadian and international experts to conduct research on critical questions related to AI safety through CIFAR's CAISI Research Program and it directly conducts projects supporting the Government's priorities on AI safety through the National Research Council.

Created in 2019, the Advisory Council on AI advises the Government on how to best build on Canada's strengths and global leadership in AI to create economic growth that benefits all Canadians. In March 2025, the Advisory Council's membership was refreshed to bring in new perspectives and expertise on rapidly developing topics. Its mandate was also expanded to ensure that the Council is able to provide comprehensive advice to the Government on relevant policy issues. The associated Safe and Secure AI Advisory Group focuses on providing recommendations and advice to the Government to ensure it is well informed on risks and mitigation measures. This includes advising on research priorities for CAISI.

The Government is also moving actively to leverage AI in a responsible manner to support its activities. In March 2025, the Treasury Board Secretariat released Canada's first AI strategy for the public sector, which will serve as a blueprint for the adoption of AI in the public service in the coming years. The Government has also published a guide to help federal public servants assess the risks associated with generative AI and use it responsibly in their daily work. Budget 2025 signalled the Government's intention to stand up an Office of Digital Transformation to identify, implement and scale technology solutions across the federal government, providing a generational opportunity for domestic innovators.

On August 19, 2025, the Government of Canada signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Cohere that provides an initial platform for the Government and Cohere to explore where AI tools can improve public services to deliver efficiency gains and improved service delivery, while securing domestic, sovereign AI capacity.

In late-September 2025, the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation announced his intent to consult Canadian to develop a new AI Strategy. To inform this work, the Minister launched a 30-day national sprint consultation, which concluded on October 31. This included an AI Strategy Task Force, comprised of 28 experts from across Canada that have come together with a mission-focused, time-limited mandate to provide bold and practical recommendations that can move quickly to implementation. The sprint also included an open public consultation, resulting in over 11,000 submissions from Canadians, the most responses to a consultation in Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's history. The Government is currently reviewing submissions and will publish the highlights.

The Government is also consulting with provinces and territories, National Indigenous Organizations, and key privacy, human rights, disability and inclusion stakeholders on the new AI Strategy; input from these groups is expected during the first half of November. A new AI strategy will be developed by the end of 2025.

Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy

Question: What is the Government of Canada doing to advance its artificial intelligence strategy?

Key messages:

Artificial intelligence is one of the greatest technological transformations of our age.

That is why the Government of Canada is investing in efforts to drive the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence across Canada's economy and society.

This includes an investment of $742 million for the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy.

These investments harness the power of artificial intelligence to spur innovation, address important societal issues, drive economic growth, and improve living standards—all while promoting the responsible development and use of these critical new technological capacities.

Supplementary messages:

The Government of Canada is advancing the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy and additional measures, such as advancing standards, supporting post-secondary research through the granting agencies, and continuing to lead international efforts around coordination, to support artificial intelligence innovations and research in Canada.

The Strategy and complementary measures are helping to maintain Canada's position as a world leader in artificial intelligence, empowering businesses to be more competitive, and ensuring more Canadians benefit from growth in the digital economy.

Since 2021, investments through the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy have helped the National Artificial Intelligence Institutes provide training and support to over 1,800 companies while leveraging $37 million in private sector investment. 85% of these companies have reported that the support of the National Artificial Intelligence Institutes has improved their ability to develop, adopt, or commercialize AI. 75% of these companies have reported productivity gains, cost savings, or other operational efficiencies as a result of their work with the Institutes (Source: CIFAR and the National Artificial Intelligence Institutes).

Background:

On June 22, 2022, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry launched a second phase of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS), which provides an investment of more than $443 million committed in Budget 2021.

The strategy has three pillars, which bring together partners from across Canada.

Pillar 1: Commercialization

National Artificial Intelligence Institutes ($60 million over five years; with an additional $24 million through the 2024 Fall Economic Statement)

  • The National Artificial Intelligence Institutes – Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) in Edmonton, Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute - in Montreal, and the Vector Institute in Toronto – are growing the capacity of businesses to adopt and commercialize artificial intelligence (AI)

Canada's Global Innovation Clusters ($125 million over five years; with an additional $150 million through the 2024 Fall Economic Statement)

  • Canada's Global Innovation Clusters – Digital Technology Supercluster, Protein Industries Canada, Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), Scale AI, and Canada's Ocean Supercluster – are promoting the adoption of made-in-Canada AI technologies by businesses in key industries, and by public and not-for-profit entities

Pillar 2: Standards

Standards Council of Canada ($8.6 million over five years)

Pillar 3: Talent and research

The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) ($208 million over 10 years)

  • CIFAR is working to attract, retain and develop academic research talent, maintain centres of research and training at National Artificial Intelligence Institutes, and is renewing advanced research, training, and knowledge mobilization programs

Compute ($40 million over five years)

These measures build on the first phase of PCAIS, launched in Budget 2017 through a $125 million investment, to support Canada's talent base and globally competitive position in AI research.

Since 2017, over 120 researchers have been appointed as Canada CIFAR Artificial Intelligence Chairs, including over 50 leading international researchers recruited to Canada. This research community forms the nucleus of one of the richest AI talent pools in the world. Amii, Mila, and the Vector Institute report that approximately 250 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows complete internships every year from the National AI Institutes. Moreover, Canada consistently places among leading nations on international ranking systems such as the Stanford Global AI Vibrancy Index and the Tortoise Media Global AI Index.

Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute

Question: Why did the Government of Canada create the Canadian Artificial Safety Institute

Key messages:

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have underscored the promise associated with this transformative technology, but also that its power can surface questions about risk and safety. Ensuring safety is critical to building public trust in AI systems.

In November 2024, the Government of Canada created the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute to advance scientific understanding of the risks associated with the most advanced AI systems and provide tools to address those risks.

To do this, the institute leverages Canada's world-class AI research ecosystem through the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), the National Research Council (NRC), and collaborates with partner institutes around the world.

Supplementary messages:

Ensuring the safety of the most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) systems is a priority for Canada and its closest partners.

Given that AI capabilities are not fully understood and constantly evolving, there is a clear need to better understand risks and develop measures to mitigate them.

The Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute is a founding member of the International Network of AI safety Institutes, which includes counterpart organizations in the U.S., UK, EU, France, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Australia, and Kenya.

The Institute leverages Canada's AI research community to advance the science of AI safety. CAISI's key research priorities for 2025-26 include risk assessment of AI systems, studying how AI systems work and interact with the real world, and developing new techniques to make AI systems safer. It has initiated work under all three priority areas in this year.

The Institute also seeks to advance international collaboration by working with members of the network on joint model evaluation exercises and build a robust program of research that contributes to advancing knowledge in the field of AI safety, including a $1 million collaborative partnership signed with the UK AI Security Institute in July 2025 to fund research on AI alignment. The Institute is also establishing partnerships with major stakeholders in the AI industry to collaborate on AI safety research and testing, including the recent announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Canadian AI company Cohere.

Through these actions, the institute aims to provide guidance and tools to support policy priorities across the government, as well as communicate AI safety information and build awareness and trust among Canadians and stakeholders.

Background:

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), ensuring the safety and secure deployment of powerful artificial intelligence (AI) systems has emerged as a global priority.

At the United Kingdom AI Safety Summit in November 2023, the Bletchley Declaration underscored the increasing risks posed by frontier AI technologies, including the potential for misuse in disinformation campaigns, cybersecurity breaches, and even bioweapon development. These concerns were echoed at the Seoul AI Safety Summit in May 2024, where global leaders discussed the need for international cooperation on AI safety. While the AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025 placed greater emphasis on supporting adoption and innovation, Canada and its closest allies recognize the continued importance of building trust in AI and are committed to supporting the responsible development and deployment of AI systems.

Launched in 2024 with an initial investment of $50 million over 5 years, CAISI is part of the government's broader strategy to promote responsible AI development in Canada, addressing societal, technical, and ethical challenges. Since its establishment, CASI has initiated collaboration with stakeholders from the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society, ensuring a multidisciplinary approach to AI safety research. CAISI focusses on key research areas such as AI model risk assessment and evaluation frameworks, technical mitigation strategies for AI risks, and designing safer AI systems.

CAISI's operational model is designed to leverage existing resources and partnerships. The institute is housed at Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada, with a dedicated office responsible for leading policy coordination and international engagement through which CAISI engages Canada's robust and world leading AI research community, including the three national AI Institutes (Amii, MILA and Vector) to conduct cutting edge research on AI safety issues. Research activities are conducted through two streams.

The first stream, of investigator-led research, is managed through a Contribution Agreement with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), enabling Canadian and international experts to explore critical AI safety questions. To date, CAISI's collaboration with CIFAR in the first research stream has advanced two new research funding initiatives:

  • The Catalyst Grant Program, for high-risk, high-reward initiatives. Ten new projects were announced in June 2025, focusing on combatting misinformation, developing trustworthy AI models aligned with human values, and ensuring real-world safety in AI systems
  • The Solution Network Program, for collaborative research over a longer period of time. Two new Solution Network projects launched in November 2025, one addressing the AI safety challenges of synthetic content infiltrating the Canadian justice system, and the other helping build safer and more equitable AI models for linguistic minorities by addressing dialect bias in AI

The second stream, of government-directed projects, has been implemented through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Research Council (NRC), and includes collaborative projects with domestic and international partners. To date, CAISI has initiated 13 projects which focus on AI safety issues, such as deepfake detection, safe robotic automation, exploring the risks with autonomous AI agents, as well as developing benchmarks and evaluations for AI models.

CAISI is a pioneering member of the International Network of AISIs comprising equivalent offices in ten jurisdictions, including the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), the European Union (EU), France, Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Kenya. This Network will coordinate efforts to advance a collective understanding of AI safety, address the risks of cutting-edge AI systems, and contribute to the development of internationally recognized AI safety standards that could form the backbone of AI safety policies across jurisdictions and markets. The Network was launched in November 2024 in San Francisco. CAISI hosted the third in-person meeting of the Network in Vancouver, on the sidelines of the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), at which decisions were made on the Network's priorities, governance, and collaborations.

CAISI co-leads the Network's research track on the risks posed by AI-generated synthetic content with Australia, and published the Network's Synthetic Content Research Agenda in July 2025. CAISI is also participating in multilingual model evaluations led by Singapore and the UK, with contributions in Cantonese, Farsi, and Telugu; and jointly published model testing results and a risk assessment tool inventory at the Paris AI Action Summit (Feb 2025).

CAISI will continue to advance research on AI safety, including deepening collaborations with AI developers and international partners. This ongoing work on AI safety will help to build public trust, which is essential for successful AI adoption and innovation.

Voluntary code of conduct for advanced generative artificial intelligence systems

Question: Why did the Government of Canada develop the Voluntary Code of Conduct for Advanced Generative Artificial Intelligence Systems?

Key messages:

  • The Government of Canada is supporting the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in a safe and secure way for all Canadians
  • To that end, the Government developed the Voluntary Code of Conduct for Advanced Generative Artificial Intelligence Systems, that sets out practices that firms can implement to mitigate risks associated with AI
  • The Code currently has 46 signatories, from small- and medium-sized businesses, to world-leading AI research organizations and Fortune 500 multinationals
  • Advancing work on safe and responsible use helps fuel trust, adoption, and helps confidently support AI where it can most fuel growth and opportunity

Supplementary messages:

  • Signatories to the Code publicly commit to its principles and measures, including commitments to promote the transparency, accountability, safety, and security of their AI systems
  • Originally developed for generative AI systems, the Code's principles and most of its measures are applicable to a range of AI systems and can be adopted by actors across Canada's AI ecosystem
  • In March 2025, the government released further guidance to help managers of AI systems implement the Code and develop responsible AI policies in their organizations

Background:

The launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in November 2022 marked the widespread availability of user-facing generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Generative AI systems can be used for harmful purposes (e.g. fraud), have contributed to the rise of "deepfakes", including harmful content such as nonconsensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material, and have privacy and copyright implications.

Amid growing concern regarding the risks and impacts of generative AI, the Government of Canada launched a consultation on elements of a voluntary code of conduct for generative AI systems in summer 2023. Individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including innovators, researchers, and civil society stakeholders, provided feedback on what organizations need to do to build and deploy trustworthy products, and how to ensure that the Code remains evergreen.

The Code was launched in September 2023 by the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry. The Code identifies measures that organizations can undertake while developing and managing generative AI systems. The Code currently counts 46 organizations as signatories.

The Code is structured around six principles in-line with international norms on AI-systems governance and focus on outcomes needed to build trust with Canadians, including: 

  • Accountability: Firms understand their role with regard to the systems they develop or manage, put in place appropriate risk management systems, and cooperate with other firms as needed to avoid gaps
  • Safety: Systems are subject to risk assessments, and mitigations needed to ensure safe operation are put in place prior to deployment and re-evaluated as needed
  • Fairness and equity: Potential impacts with regard to fairness and equity are assessed and addressed at different phases of development and deployment of the systems
  • Human oversight and monitoring: Systems include appropriate mechanisms for human oversight, and use is monitored after deployment. Information is shared and updates are implemented as needed to address any risks that materialize
  • Validity and robustness: Systems operate as intended and their behaviour in response to the range of tasks or situations to which they are likely to be exposed is understood
  • Transparency: Sufficient information is published to allow consumers to make informed decisions and for experts to evaluate whether risks have been adequately addressed

Signatories to the Code commit to undertaking specific measures under each of the six principles, depending on whether they are a developer or manager of an AI system. They also commit to supporting the ongoing development of a robust, responsible AI ecosystem in Canada, for instance by contributing to the development and application of standards, sharing information and best practices with other members of the AI ecosystem, and collaborating with researchers to support public awareness and accountability.

Finally, signatories commit to developing and deploying AI systems consistent with accessibility, human rights, and environmental sustainability, and working collaboratively to harness the potential of AI to address pressing global issues such as climate change.

International engagement on Artificial Intelligence

Question: How is Canada maintaining its global leadership role as a pioneer in the responsible use of artificial intelligence?

Key messages:

  • Canada plays a pivotal role in shaping global norms and organizing collective action around artificial intelligence (AI)
  • Canada is a founding member of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), an international multi-stakeholder initiative at the OECD dedicated to advancing responsible AI. Canada continues to play a leadership role in the GPAI's evolution
  • In addition to GPAI, Canada engages actively in multilateral fora related to AI such as the G20 and G7, as well as bilaterally, to advance collaboration and opportunities for the Canadian economy. We are actively pursuing cooperative work with key partners to fuel Canada's AI ecosystem
  • Canada's G7 Presidency is prioritizing broad adoption of responsible AI systems for shared prosperity

Supplementary messages:

  • Canada continues to play a key role in advancing responsible AI development and deployment:
  • Canada was one of the founding members of GPAI, playing a leadership role in the development of its vision for collaboration on responsible AI. GPAI will continue to play an important role in supporting global governance efforts on AI
  • The Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (CAISI) is a founding member of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes, which includes counterpart organizations in the U.S., UK, EU, France, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Australia, and Kenya. The institutes lead AI safety related research initiatives
  • Canada also continues to shape common global AI priorities at AI summits, including most recently at France's Paris AI Action Summit in February 2025
  • Canada signed the Global Digital Compact, a global framework for digital cooperation and AI governance, during the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024
  • Canada also adopted the Council of Europe Framework Convention on AI in February 2025, following consultation with provinces, Indigenous communities, and stakeholders. It is the first-ever international legally binding treaty aimed at ensuring that the use of AI systems is fully consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law
  • Canada is looking to address global AI divides as part of our G7 AI for Prosperity agenda. Canada is advancing cooperation not just on powering and adopting AI but also on sharing it to ensure its benefits are more equally shared around the world
  • Canada is supporting the 2025 G20 South African Presidency's focus on digital inclusion, including universal and meaningful connectivity and digital public infrastructure (DPI), viewing it as a promising area for ongoing collaboration at the G20

Background:

The Government of Canada plays a key role in shaping global governance of artificial intelligence (AI).

OECD and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence:

The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) was created as an international multi-stakeholder initiative following Canada and France's 2018 and 2019 G7 presidencies, with a mission of advancing the responsible development and use of AI through practical projects. Canada has also been an active member of the OECD Working Party on AI Governance (AIGO) since its creation and currently holds a Vice-Chair role.

Canada views GPAI/OECD as a critical forum for achieving consensus among likeminded nations on AI governance and international policy frameworks on AI. GPAI is currently considering membership expansion to enhance its value as an inclusive forum, of which Canada and other key partners have been supportive.

International Network of AI Safety Institutes:

The International Network of AI Safety Institutes was established in November 2024 to facilitate international cooperation on AI safety. Canada is a founding member of the network, with the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI), and continues to play a key role in international AI safety, through research, testing, guidance, and collaboration.

In July 2025, CAISI, through the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, committed to contributing $1 million to the UK AI Security Institute's Alignment Project, a cutting-edge initiative to advance research on AI alignment. This field is focused on making advanced AI systems operate in a reliable and beneficial way, without unintended or harmful actions.

G7:

The G7 Hiroshima AI Process (HAIP) was launched in May 2023 under Japan's G7 Presidency in response to concerns around the rise of generative AI systems. It represents a concerted effort to establish common expectations on the governance of the most advanced AI systems. HAIP notably includes a set of Guiding Principles and a Voluntary Code of Conduct for organizations developing and deploying advanced AI systems. Under the leadership of Italy's G7 Presidency in 2024, and with support from the OECD, the HAIP Reporting Framework was launched in February 2025 and marks a milestone in global responsible AI development as a key transparency mechanism for major AI developers. As G7 President in 2025, Canada will build on recent progress of the HAIP to foster trust and adoption for organizations of all sizes to support responsible AI deployment across all sectors, enhancing consumer trust, and unlocking market potential.

G20:

South Africa holds the 2025 G20 Presidency and is prioritizing the digital economy, with a focus on DPI and AI. The G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) is a key platform for these discussions, which Canada is actively engaged in. The G20 DEWG focuses on leveraging digital transformation for inclusive socioeconomic development. Last year, the Brazilian Presidency leveraged the G20 DEWG as a platform for members to contribute to the discussion around strengthening global efforts for safe, secure, and trustworthy development, deployment, and use of AI.

ASEAN:

In 2025, Malaysia holds the ASEAN chairmanship, leading with the theme "Inclusivity and Sustainability" and placing artificial intelligence (AI) at the heart of its digital transformation agenda. ASEAN has adopted the Expanded Guide on AI Governance and Ethics, which includes new recommendations for managing generative AI risks such as misinformation, deepfakes, and bias. The region is also advancing the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) to harmonize AI policies, promote cross-border data flows, and support sustainable AI infrastructure. Key initiatives include the creation of an ASEAN AI Safety Network (AI SAFE) and capacity-building programs to help member states adopt responsible AI practices. These efforts aim to ensure that AI drives inclusive growth, strengthens trust, and positions ASEAN as a global leader in ethical and sustainable technology governance.

APEC:

South Korea holds the 2025 APEC presidency, hosting the Leaders' Summit under the theme "Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper." As chair, Korea has prioritized artificial intelligence (AI) as a key driver of regional growth and launched the APEC AI Initiative (2026–2030) to promote safe, inclusive, and innovative AI adoption across member economies. The initiative focuses on harmonizing AI standards, strengthening digital infrastructure, and bridging the technology gap among developing economies. Korea also announced plans for an Asia-Pacific AI Center to support capacity building and global cooperation on AI governance. These efforts aim to ensure that AI benefits are shared equitably while safeguarding trust and security in the region.

AI Summits:

Canada has participated actively in international AI Summits, which continue to serve as cornerstone high-level events for discussing and shaping common global AI priorities and responding to the latest developments. In November 2023, the UK held a summit in Bletchley, focused on the safety and regulation of artificial intelligence. In May 2024, South Korea held a summit in Seoul, that built on the Bletchley Summit discussions. In February 2025, France held a summit in Paris that further expanded on the Bletchley and Seoul Summit discussions.

India will be hosting the next AI Impact Summit on February 19-20, 2026. The Summit plans to mark a strategic shift, from action to measurable impact, in global AI co-operation. Canada has started to engage through GPAI on India's planning of the Summit and intends to contribute to work towards the Summit deliverables, which will encompass key themes including human capital, inclusion, safe and trusted AI, resilience, science, democratising AI resources, and social good.

Council of Europe:

Canada was active in the negotiations on the recently adopted Council of Europe Framework Convention on AI and human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, which is the first-ever international legally binding treaty aimed at ensuring that the use of AI systems is fully consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Canada was actively engaged in the negotiations as a Council of Europe observer and signed the treaty at the AI Action Summit in Paris in February. The treaty has been signed by Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, the UK as well as Israel, the U.S., and the EU.

Federal granting agencies:

The federal granting agencies that support research, research training and innovation in Canadian postsecondary institutions are key to international research cooperation. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) fund leading-edge research in AI, in partnership with international partners.

For example, in October 2025, SSHRC, in partnership with the United Kingdom's UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in the United States, awarded fellowship funding to explore AI's impact on the research ecosystem.

In November 2025, NSERC, SSHRC, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) partnered with the French National Research Agency (ANR) to fund collaborative research projects on artificial intelligence.

More broadly, under the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy (PCAIS), Canada aims to attract and retain research talent. Since 2017, over 125 researchers have been appointed as Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Artificial Intelligence Chairs, including over 50 leading international researchers recruited to Canada. Moreover, Canada consistently places among leading nations on international ranking systems such as the Stanford Global AI Vibrancy Index and the Tortoise Media Global AI Index.

Artificial intelligence: Developing compute infrastructure

Question: How is the Government of Canada championing the development of AI compute infrastructure?

Key messages:

  • Artificial intelligence (AI) will define the 21st century, and the nations leading in AI will shape the global economy. And compute is a core input to positioning Canada for AI success
  • Demand for AI compute infrastructure is increasing exponentially. Given this Budget 2025 builds on previous commitments to sovereign infrastructure by proposing $925.6 million over five years to build large-scale sovereign public AI infrastructure to power public and private research and innovation
  • Budget 2025 also proposes a negotiating mandate for the Minister of AIDI to engage with data centre proponents growing Canada's digital infrastructure offerings, and also expands the mandate of the Canada Infrastructure Bank to invest in AI infrastructure projects
  • The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that Canada is globally competitive and a leader in AI
  • The government is committed to working with provincial, territorial and Indigenous leaders and private sector partners to accelerate the build out of AI infrastructure, strengthen digital sovereignty, and ensure a safe and secure AI development and adoption

Supplementary messages:

  • Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming scientific discovery, productivity, and industrial activity to create new economic opportunities and advantages
  • Harnessing this potential requires unprecedented computational power, and global demand for computing is rapidly increasing. Without access to leading-edge AI infrastructure, Canadian researchers and innovators risk being left behind
  • Through the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, the government will ensure that Canadian businesses, innovators, and researchers across all sectors have access to sovereign compute capacity to drive groundbreaking research and foster made-in-Canada AI solutions. This will help protect Canadian data and intellectual property, foster economic growth, and secure Canada's leadership in AI
  • The Government of Canada will engage with industry to identify new promising AI infrastructure projects
  • The government intends to enable the Canada Infrastructure Bank to invest in AI infrastructure projects
  • Of this amount, $800 million will be sourced from funds previously provisioned in the fiscal framework

Background:

  • The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is fueling investment in AI data centres worldwide, with private sector investors and governments acting urgently to ensure their economies have the AI compute infrastructure required to capitalize on advances in AI technology
  • Canada's long-term competitiveness in AI depends on ensuring that researchers have access to world-class compute resources that are otherwise unavailable domestically. At present, Canada ranks at the bottom of the G7 in terms of publicly available computing capacity. The limited domestic supply of specialized, high-density GPU infrastructure constrains the ability of researchers to train and deploy advanced AI models at scale. Establishing a sovereign public compute facility will directly strengthen Canada's capacity to undertake foundational and applied AI research, attract and retain top talent, and foster collaboration across universities, startups, and established firms. Anchoring compute capacity in the public research domain ensures broad, equitable access while creating a platform that industry can leverage for research and development partnerships aligned with national priorities
  • Global and domestic demand for AI compute infrastructure is increasing. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), in 2025 global spending on Infrastructure-as-a-Service is expected to reach $271.5 billion. Forecasts indicate this will increase to $461.9 billion in 2029. McKinsey has reported that some projections estimate global investment will amount to approximately US$6.7 trillion by 2030, of which roughly US $5.2 trillion is for AI‑processing capability
  • Canada is well positioned to take advantage of this demand growth. From coast to coast to coast, Canada is an attractive investment destination for large-scale commercial AI data centres, given its clean energy, cool climate, existing digital technologies sector, and availability of land. Thanks to these factors, Canada is seeing private sector led investments across the country in AI compute infrastructure
  • Federal government investment in AI infrastructure through the Sovereign AI Compute Strategy is increasing the availability of, and access to, sovereign and domestic AI compute capacity. Coupled with leadership from the private sector, including Canada's telecommunication firms, Canada is building the AI infrastructure needed to support its innovators, businesses, and researchers.

Artificial Intelligence: Challenges and regulation

Question: What is the Government of Canada doing to address the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) in Canada?

Key messages:

  • While artificial intelligence (AI) presents significant opportunities for Canada's economic prosperity, it also raises new challenges and risks
  • The Government of Canada has launched several initiatives to support the safe and responsible development and deployment of AI, including the "Voluntary Code of Conduct for Advanced AI Systems" and the Canadian AI Safety Institute
  • A number of Canadian laws already apply to AI but the government is working to strengthen and modernize Canada's regulatory frameworks, including private-sector privacy law
  • Ensuring that AI systems are safe and trustworthy will be a key consideration in the new Canadian National AI Strategy

Supplementary messages:

  • The Government of Canada has heard the serious concerns raised by Canadians regarding how artificial intelligence (AI) will be used, including:
    • its potential misuse for malicious purposes
    • its impacts on privacy
    • the spread of misinformation
    • the creation of fake content as well as other safety risks
  • To promote safe and responsible AI governance practices, the Government of Canada launched the Voluntary Code of Conduct in 2023
  • The Code – which currently has 46 signatories – sets out practices that organizations can implement to address risks associated with AI from small-and medium-sized businesses, to fortune 500 multinationals, to world-renowned research institutes
  • In March 2025, the government also published a guide to help managers of AI systems implement the Code
  • In 2024, the government launched the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI) to fund and undertake technical research on AI safety risks and mitigation measures, and to collaborate and share information with counterparts across the International Network of AI Safety Institutes
  • CAISI's work seeks to advance the safe deployment of AI and inform the government's policies
  • The government is now working toward an updated Canadian National AI Strategy and the security and safety of AI system, as well as ways to build trust in AI, are key considerations
  • To inform this strategy, the government conducted public consultations in Fall 2025, and formed a task force of 28 leading and diverse experts who provided advice after consultations in their networks

Background:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) challenges

While AI presents significant opportunities for Canada's economic growth, prosperity, and competitiveness, like all transformative technologies, it also raises important challenges.

Challenges associated with AI include:

  • Malicious uses: Powerful AI systems can be used by malicious actors to conduct illegal, dangerous or harmful activities (e.g., AI systems used to develop weapons or commit cyberattacks)
  • Malfunction risks: AI systems can malfunction once deployed, and that can cause serious harms in certain contexts. For instance, AI systems can generate false information due to technical limitations, commonly known as AI hallucinations, which can be particularly concerning when it provides users inaccurate health or safety advice. Deployment risks also include harms that can be caused by AI chatbots designed to have intimate and personal conversations (e.g. AI companions) and that can reinforce their users' delusional beliefs and foster unhealthy emotional dependency. In some cases, users allegedly died by suicide after being encouraged by such an AI chatbot. Deployment risks are heavily context dependant. For instance, the deployment of AI technology by businesses to automate back-office tasks does not raise the same reliability risks as sensitive contexts, such as healthcare and AI companions
  • Synthetic content risks: AI-generated content is now widespread online, and AI can be used to spread false, misleading or harmful content. This includes the generation of deceptive content that can impact public trust, democratic institutions or public safety (e.g., disinformation). It also includes the generation of content featuring a person's likeness (including their voice or other identifiable features) without that person's consent, commonly known as deepfakes. This can lead to economic, psychological and reputational harm

Legislative and policy environment

While Canada does not have federal horizontal AI legislation, a number of Canadian laws already apply to certain aspects of the development, operation, and use of AI, including the Personal Information and Protection of Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the Copyright Act, and the Criminal Code. Moreover, sectoral laws, such as the Food and Drugs Act for medical devices and the Motor Vehicle Safety Act for automotives, can address deployment risks caused by AI in specific sectors. A few provinces have also begun to regulate aspects of AI deployment (e.g. Ontario in the employment context). Some of these existing laws may need to be updated to better reflect the current AI environment. For instance, in its 2025 electoral platform, the Liberal Party committed to amend the Criminal Code to make it a criminal offence to distribute non-consensual sexual deepfakes. Moreover, the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation has publicly stated his intention to table new legislation to strengthen privacy protections to ensure that privacy risks with respect to AI are appropriately addressed.

Beyond legislation, the Government of Canada is promoting safe and responsible AI through other initiatives including the "Voluntary Code of Conduct for Advanced AI Systems" which provide guidance on AI risks management and the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI) which fund and undertake research to advance the science of AI safety. Moreover, the government has advanced several digital and media literacy initiatives that could mitigate some of the challenges raised by AI. This includes the Digital Citizen Initiative which is led by the Department of Canadian Heritage to support democracy and social inclusion in Canada by building citizen resilience against online disinformation. It also includes a range of AI and digital literacy initiatives supported by the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development such as Lets Talk Science, and programming from the National AI Institutes.

The government is committed to ensure that policy and legislative frameworks are robust enough to address AI challenges and risks. However, different applications of AI and different risks call for different policy responses:

  • AI developers can put safeguards in place in their systems to discourage malicious use. CAISI's work can support model developers in that endeavour and CAISI is currently exploring the conclusion of an MOU with Canadian model developer Cohere
  • Malfunction risks are best addressed in context, often by relevant sectoral regulators. While the use of AI in some sectors like healthcare is already heavily regulated, the absence of regulatory frameworks in other sectors (e.g. AI chatbots and companions apps) creates a gap at present
  • Synthetic content risks could be addressed through a range of avenues, including modernizing the Criminal Code to better capture synthetic content, modernizing PIPEDA to better address synthetic content featuring a person's likeness, and establishing an Online Harms regime to mitigate risks of exposure to harmful content online, including harmful synthetic content

Some of these policy responses fall under the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation while others would involve different Ministers. Coordination amongst federal departments and regulators, and with provincial and territorial governments, will be critical to effectively address challenges associated with AI.

Recruiting international talent

Key messages:

Investments in research are foundational to building the economy of the future. World-class research talent essential to drive innovation, strengthen Canada's resilience, and maintain leadership in a rapidly changing global economy.

Budget 2025 announced up to $1.7 billion to recruit top international research talent, enhancing Canada's global competitiveness and contributing to the economy of the future.

Canada welcomes leading researchers from around the world. By embracing diverse expertise and offering a stable, collaborative research environment, Canada will strengthen its innovation ecosystem and accelerate breakthroughs to address complex challenges.

Supplementary messages:

Canada is building on its dynamic and diverse research ecosystem by recruiting top international talent at all career stages, in alignment with the Government of Canada's priority areas.

This investment builds on the government's longstanding support for research. Budget 2024 provided $825 million to increase the value and number of scholarships and fellowships and $1.8 billion to increase research grant funding.

This investment strengthens Canada's talent pipeline and research capacity in areas critical to economic growth and social well-being, positioning Canada as a world-leading science and innovation hub, now and in the future.

Background:

  • Canada's research talent is among the best in the world, thanks in part to the government's strong support for research and innovation. For example, Budget 2024 provided $825 million to increase the annual value and number of scholarships and fellowships to support the next generation of talent. It also provided $1.8 billion to the federal granting councils to increase research grant funding
  • Budget 2025 committed $1.7 billion to attract top international research talent, following the mandate letter commitment to attract global talent to strengthen Canada's economy. This initiative is part of the International Talent Attraction Strategy and Action Plan, led by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The strategy seizes the opportunity to recruit leading researchers who are seeking opportunities abroad due to funding cuts and policy changes in the United States
  • Canada's stable research ecosystem, global credibility, strong academic and institutional foundations, and international collaboration are attractive to global research talent
  • The talent attraction initiative announced in Budget 2025 aims to recruit over a thousand researchers. It includes funding to the three federal granting agencies for:
    • Research Chairs focused on transformational and translational research ($1 billion over 13 years)
    • Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers ($133.6 million over three years)
    • Assistant professors ($120 million over 12 years)
  • To ensure attractive recruitment packages, Budget 2025 also provides $400 million over seven years for the Canada Foundation of Innovation (CFI) to deliver research infrastructure support for the recruited Chairs. Together, these investments will make Canada an attractive choice for global researchers at a time of increased competition for highly-skilled talent
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will deliver dedicated support and accelerated processing for the recruited researchers
  • This investment will target priority areas associated with the future economy and current strengths. It will bolster the research capacity needed to produce the innovations that drive national prosperity, resilience and wellbeing
  • This initiative will complement Canada's existing talent. Canada's research enterprise is supported through the federal research granting agencies (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research) and the CFI. Investments through these organizations develop highly qualified talent and produce the breakthroughs that drive innovation
  • By working alongside global leaders, Canadian researchers and graduate students will gain invaluable training and mentorship, helping strengthen research teams and attract additional highly qualified people to Canada

Artificial Intelligence: Research institutes and researchers

Background:

On November 3, 2025, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research (SRSR) adopted a motion to study innovation and scientific research concerning artificial intelligence (AI). The full text of that motion is:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3), the Standing Committee on Science and Research undertakes a study of at least four meetings on innovation and scientific research concerning artificial intelligence. That the study aim to examine: recent advances in fundamental and applied research in the field of artificial intelligence; the needs and challenges of research centres, universities, and public institutes regarding funding, infrastructure, recruitment, and interdisciplinary collaboration; the role of the federal government in promoting a responsible artificial intelligence research ecosystem; and, the mechanisms for ensuring the diffusion, valorization, and protection of Canadian scientific discoveries in artificial intelligence.

Status update:

  1. ISED supports for the Artificial Intelligence Research Ecosystem:
    • Canadians have played a key role in the development of modern AI, and today Canada has a vibrant ecosystem that is supported by complementary federal strategies: the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy (PCAIS), the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy (SCS), and the Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) Strategy
    • Through PCAIS, introduced in Budget 2017, the federal government has invested $742 million to strengthen Canada's talent base and global competitiveness in AI. The second phase of PCAIS was announced in Budget 2021 (launched in 2022) to bridge Canada's world-class talent and research capacity with programs to enable commercialization and adoption of AI and help to grow a dynamic national AI ecosystem
    • Budget 2024 announced $2 billion over five years to establish the SCS. This strategy will ensure that Canadian businesses, innovations and researchers have access to the compute capacity they need to drive research and develop made-in-Canada AI solutions across all sectors of the economy. Building on this investment, Budget 2025 announced $925.6 million over five years to support large-scale sovereign public AI infrastructure to bolster AI compute capacity for public and private research
    • Announced in Budget 2018, the DRI Strategy aims to support Canada's researchers by ensuring that they have the digital tools and services necessary to turn big data into scientific breakthroughs. Through the DRI Strategy, the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (the Alliance) plays a central role in supporting Canada's advanced research and innovation landscape by providing essential DRI, advanced research computing, data management, and research software. From April 2019 to March 2025, the Alliance has invested $262 million through the DRI Strategy to increase the total compute capacity available to our nation's researchers by more than fifty percent, develop tools, services and training available through their national platform, and coordinate a network of over 200 highly-qualified professionals across Canada that are integral to leveraging this technology to its fullest. The DRI Strategy has committed an additional amount of up to $258 million starting April 2025 to continue this work through to March 2030
  2. ISED programming to support Artificial Intelligence research:
    • The CIFAR AI Chairs program recruits the world's leading AI researchers to Canada, while retaining top home-grown talent. The program provides long-term, dedicated research funding to support their research programs and help them train the next generation of AI leaders
      • Since 2017, over 125 researchers have been appointed as Canada CIFAR AI Chairs, including over 50 leading international researchers recruited to Canada
      • The Canada CIFAR AI Chairs are the third highest impact AI research group in the world (on a per researcher basis), trailing only Google and the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, and leading Meta, MIT, Oxford, Stanford, Tsinghua, and many others. They are 4.5 times more likely than an average AI researcher worldwide to have a paper in the top one percent most cited journals
    • The National AI Institutes (NAIIs) host Canada CIFAR AI Chairs and act as central hubs of researchers, students, and companies at the heart of Canada's leading AI ecosystems. The institutes connect postsecondary institutions from coast to coast and enable the translation of academic research into real-world outcomes through their commercialization programming
      • The NAIIs report that approximately 250 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows complete training every year
      • The NAIIs and CIFAR have supported breakthrough research of three winners of the world's most prestigious awards: Yoshua Bengio (Mila) won the 2018 Turing Award with Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun; Geoffrey Hinton (The Vector Institute) won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics; and Richard S. Sutton (Amii) won the 2024 Turing Award
      • Through the SCS, the three NAIIs were each awarded $20 million over four years. These funds will be used by the AI institutes to increase their AI compute capacity – helping researchers conduct AI research, and attracting and retaining top talent
    • The Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (CAISI) was announced in Budget 2024, with an investment of $50 million over five years to support the safe development and deployment of AI. It leverages CIFAR's CAISI Research program, launched in November 2024, which funds leading AI safety researchers from the three NAIIs. The initiative puts Canada at the forefront of research tackling the risks posed by advanced AI systems. Ten research projects have been announced, each supporting up to two postdoctoral researchers. The CIFAR AI Safety Postdoctoral Fellows will receive funding and research support and will shape a strong community of early-career AI safety researchers, building Canada's next generation of talent
    • Since 2008, Canada's federal granting agencies (the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR)) have invested over $1.5 billion into fundamental, investigator-driven AI research grants (e.g., NSERC Discovery grants). These early-stage foundational grants, awarded through competitive processes, complement the targeted and applied funding provide through PCAIS research and talent investments
    • The Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC) is a federally-funded, not-for-profit organization that supports Canada's researchers by operating advanced research computing (ARC) at Canadian institutions and ensuring an equitable division of ARC to Canadian researchers; developing research software and data management tools that help researchers work with large data sets. Under the DRI Strategy, DRAC is leading efforts to coordinate and enhance Canada's digital research infrastructure ecosystem, while also replacing aging high-performance computing infrastructure and upgrading data centre capacity. Through PCAIS, DRAC is supporting the deployment of AI infrastructure at national AI institutes to improve access for researchers. Under the SCS, DRAC is contributing to the expansion of national compute capacity to meet growing research demands, while also advancing the development of secure data spaces and providing supports for researchers and other stakeholders across the DRI and AI ecosystems
    • CANARIE is a federally funded, not-for-profit organization that operates Canada's national ultra-high-speed network for research and education, connecting researchers, educators, and innovators across the country and to global partners. As a cornerstone of Canada's DRI Strategy, receiving $176 million over five years as part of Budget 2024, CANARIE supports collaboration and data-intensive research through initiatives such as the National Research and Education Network (NREN), Research Software programs, and Research Data Management. These services provide high-speed connectivity, reusable software, and secure data-sharing tools, linking provincial and territorial networks to each other and to international NREN partners
    • Budget 2024 allocated up to $30 million over three years to the VITAL project (Vital near real-time health data for Trials, Artificial Intelligence, and a Learning Health System) under the SCS to strengthen Canada's leadership in using health data for AI. Led by Unity Health Toronto, VITAL will establish digital infrastructure that securely extracts, harmonizes, and analyzes near real-time clinical data from multiple provinces for cutting-edge research and innovation. The project will develop foundational infrastructure supported by secure data centres, data processing pipelines, and a centralized research environment for large-scale analytics. It will also implement a comprehensive privacy, governance, and cybersecurity framework, support responsible commercialization and partnerships, and pilot Indigenous data linkages and governance models. By enabling researchers and clinicians to securely access near real-time insights from across Canada's health system, VITAL is positioned to help accelerate the discovery of new treatments, improve patient outcomes, and ensure faster, evidence-based responses to emerging health challenges
  3. ISED programming to support industrial-focused Artificial Intelligence research:
    • The Global Innovation Clusters (GICs) program brings together firms, not-for-profits, and research institutions to foster innovation through industry-led, collaborative projects to solve real-world problems using advanced technologies, including AI. Since being formed in 2018, the Clusters have supported 131 AI projects with research partners, with a total project value of $924 million (including GIC contributions of some $340 million)
    • The NAIIs, in addition to their work to support AI research and talent, help to translate research in artificial intelligence into commercial applications and grow the capacity of businesses to adopt these new technologies. Of the $742 million invested in PCAIS, $84 million has been invested directly in the NAIIs commercialization programming ($28 million per institute from 2021-27) which has provided training and support to over 1,800 companies while leveraging $37 million in private sector investment. As a result of their work with the NAIIs, 85 percent of companies report improved ability to develop, adopt, or commercialize AI, and 75 percent report productivity gains, cost savings, or other operational efficiencies
    • The Strategic Response Fund (SRF), formerly the Strategic Innovation Fund, is primarily leveraged to support needed compute investments – such as the March investment of $240 million in Cohere. Through the SRF's $700 million AI Compute Challenge, Canada is expanding its AI infrastructure and high-performance compute capacity, strengthening homegrown innovation and accelerating the growth of its commercial AI sector. Beyond supporting investments in compute, the SRF also supports digital industry projects focusing on or incorporating elements of AI, such as:
      • SRF committed $15.2 million to Coveo Solutions, supporting the development of an AI platform to provide personalized user experiences to customers and employees
      • SRF committed $30 million to Sanctuary Cognitive Systems, supporting the development of the world's first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots
    • Overall, the SRF currently has 30 active projects in the digital and emerging technologies space, including projects with AI elements. SRF has invested some $2.1 billion into these projects, to support some $8.1 billion in total project costs

FedDev Ontario overview & results

Background:

FedDev Ontario was established in 2009, with a focus on providing stimulus during an economic downturn. Since then, the Agency's role expanded as it became clear that sustained regional investment was needed to drive long-term competitiveness in the region.

Today, FedDev Ontario's mandate is economic development in southern Ontario and its core mission is to build a strong southern Ontario economy that is resilient in times of crisis and catalyzes innovation, growth and economic development.

The Agency plays three key roles for the federal government in southern Ontario, a region that is a key driver of Canada's economy:

  • Invest: driving strategic investments in businesses, communities and organizations to unlock growth and strengthen the regional economy
  • Connect: activating boots on the ground and local presence to forge powerful partnerships and spark new opportunities across sectors
  • Inform: delivering timely, actionable intelligence to guide decisions, accelerate impact, and position the region for success

Status update:

FedDev Ontario transforms regional opportunities into national economic advantages through its flexible, regionally-tailored programming.

Ongoing regional programming supports businesses, communities and organizations to innovate operations, commercialize new products, grow and expand, and develop strategic sectors.

  • Direct-to-business investments through FedDev Ontario's ongoing regional programming assist companies to diversify and strengthen competitiveness and on-shore production
  • The Agency's ongoing regional programming also supports not-for-profit ecosystem organizations that help businesses and communities grow and diversify

Temporary programs respond to time-sensitive opportunities and challenges:

  • the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) is providing targeted support to trade impacted firms, helping businesses and communities remain resilient in times of economic uncertainty
  • the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) helped bring new AI technologies to market and speeding up AI adoption in critical sectors (intake closed)
  • the Regional Quantum Initiative helped companies advance and commercialize their quantum products and solutions for domestic and global markets (intake closed)

The Agency also delivers national programs in southern Ontario to support broad-based economic growth and support for diverse populations, including the Community Futures Program, the Black Entrepreneurship Program Ecosystem Fund, and the Economic Development Initiative for Official Language Minority Communities.

Considerations (including risks – no options):

Tariff response:

Southern Ontario is among the hardest hit regions from U.S. tariffs. The region's automotive sector is extremely vulnerable to tariffs due to its high export intensity; 96% of automotive manufacturing exports are destined for the U.S. The steel and aluminum sectors are also highly vulnerable; Ontario is home to Canada's largest crude steel producers, which represent approximately 60% of Canada's crude steelmaking capacity and a high concentration of steel fabricators.

FedDev Ontario is responding to the tariffs through the RTRI, which provides $1 billion nationally to help trade-impacted firms respond to global pressures, of which FedDev Ontario is delivering $363 million over five years.

Results:

The Agency's return on investment is clear: over the last decade, its funding has catalyzed $5 billion in additional investments across the region, supporting thousands of jobs in communities across southern Ontario.

FedDev Ontario supported firms outperform their peers. A recent Statistics Canada analysis showed that businesses directly supported by FedDev Ontario grew faster than similar non-assisted companies in terms of revenues, employment, productivity and R&D expenditures.

In addition to delivering regional and national programming to support government priorities, business growth, innovation and communities in southern Ontario, FedDev Ontario also provides important business services to SMEs (e.g., helping regional companies participate in defence procurement related opportunities) and plays a connecting role across federal departments and other levels of government to align efforts for sustainable economic growth and development across southern Ontario.

FedDev Ontario position:

FedDev Ontario's mandate is to support economic development in southern Ontario. Its core mission is to build a strong southern Ontario economy that is resilient in times of crisis, and to catalyze innovation, growth and economic development.

FedDev Ontario helps businesses remain resilient during challenging times, with investments that strengthen supply chains and keep companies rooted in their communities.

Southern Ontario has been heavily impacted by the ongoing tariff and trade challenges with the United States. As such, FedDev Ontario is on the front lines of Canada's response, making investments to help businesses and communities adapt, boost productivity, lower costs, strengthen supply chain resilience, and open doors to new markets.

FedDev Ontario is laser-focused on delivering the Government's key missions, including supporting the nation-building projects that will create new regional opportunities.

Businesses that receive FedDev Ontario's support have demonstrated greater increases in productivity, revenue growth, employment and research and development, helping them grow and compete globally.

FedDev Ontario is investing in Southern Ontario's companies and innovators that Build Canada Strong. These investments – in sectors like AI, quantum, life sciences and advanced manufacturing – are helping build the economy of the future.

Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) overview

Background:

Budget 2024 announced $200 million over five years for Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to support AI start-up productization, commercialization, and adoption of AI applications. FedDev Ontario delivered the program through two pillars:

  • Pillar 1: AI productization and commercialization
    Supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing AI-enabled products and services at higher technology readiness levels (TRL 6+), helping them move from prototype to market-ready solutions. Activities include technology demonstration and/or commercialization, business and capacity development, and AI cluster and ecosystem capacity building.
  • Pillar 2: AI adoption
    Targets SMEs integrating AI into their operations to improve productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness. Eligible activities include strategic AI adoption and integration, process re-engineering and capacity development, and ecosystem support for SME AI adoption.

Status update:

One example of a RAII investment that has been announced is $2.4 million for the Toronto Region Board of Trade to support its new AI Business Catalyst Initiative, which will equip small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with practical tools, expert guidance, and direct support to adopt and implement AI solutions.

The Initiative will help participating SMEs improve productivity and streamline operations by enabling them to learn about new tools, test how they can apply to their operations, and implement them effectively.

Considerations (including risks – no options):

RAII was oversubscribed in southern Ontario, and the majority of applications involved commercialization activities; FedDev Ontario received 3.5 times the number of applications for the commercialization pillar than for the adoption pillar. While many firms are actively developing AI-enabled products, the integration of AI into existing operations remains a more challenging undertaking, especially for traditional industries.

This gap highlights the continued need for targeted strategies that support firms in transitioning from interest to implementation, with solutions representing a breadth of business productivity improvements beyond generic off-the-shelf approaches, including support for customized data strategy, data cleaning, and process redesign.

FedDev Ontario position:

AI is a critical growth sector for the southern Ontario economy, and one where the region has a competitive advantage compared to many other peer jurisdictions. As such, it will continue to be a priority area of focus for the Agency through its programming.

  • Although the RAII intake is currently closed, FedDev Ontario continues to make investments in AI commercialization and adoption through its ongoing regional programs
  • The Agency will support AI-based dual use applications through its delivery of the Regional Defence Investment Initiative

The Agency will also continue to engage with federal partners around additional steps that could be taken to drive AI adoption and also facilitate Buy Canadian/procurement opportunities for AI companies in the region.

Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) overview

Background:

The Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI), a three-year, $1‑billion national program delivered by Canada's regional development agencies (RDAs), is part of the Government of Canada's $6.5 billion tariff response plan to protect Canadian businesses and workers. Through RTRI, RDAs are helping tariff-impacted businesses open doors to new markets, boost productivity, and strengthen domestic supply chains. FedDev Ontario has been allocated over $362 million to support southern Ontario firms in responding, adapting, and competing amid shifting market conditions.

Status update:

The RTRI remains open for applications, and FedDev Ontario continues to see steady demand for the program, particularly from the manufacturing sector.

Considerations (including risks – no options):

The United States (U.S.) has adopted a protectionist stand on trade, announcing a number of tariffs on several goods from multiple countries. Currently, Canada faces tariffs of 35% on non CUSMA-compliant goods, 25% on the non-U.S. content portion of vehicles and parts, 50% on steel and aluminum, 50% on copper, and 10% on non CUSMA-compliant energy and potash.

 

Ontario-U.S. trade totals ~$450 billion annually, with Ontario being the top Canadian exporter to over 30 U.S. states. The trade war is significantly impacting this trade relationship. In April-May 2025, Ontario exports to the U.S. were down $5.7 billion compared to April-May 2024. Trade with the U.S. supports up to one in five Ontario jobs, driving regional GDP and prosperity.

Many businesses and supply chains have organized themselves across borders given the history of trade agreements in North America and the opportunity to tap into regional advantages. This deep level of integration has meant that tariffs have caused businesses to struggle, facing fewer orders and necessitating layoffs.

FedDev position:

Unjustified and illegal tariffs and trade disruptions are impacting businesses and communities across southern Ontario. The region is on the frontlines of the dispute, with its steel and automotive sectors particularly hard hit and facing economic uncertainty.

The Government of Canada is building a new industrial strategy to meet this moment and transform our economy to be more resilient to global shocks. This includes over $362 million that will help impacted southern Ontario businesses and communities respond and remain resilient through FedDev Ontario's delivery of the Regional Tariff Response Initiative.

We are moving swiftly with laser-focused investments to protect businesses, boost productivity, lower costs, strengthen supply chain resilience, and open doors to new markets, enhancing overall competitiveness and building the economy of the future.

Annex A: Biographies

  • Mike Murchison
  • CEO and co-founder
  • [REDACTED]
  • Long Dinh
  • CFO
  • [REDACTED]

Project fact sheet: Ada Support Inc.

Recipient overview:

  • Incorporated in 2014, Ada Support Inc. (Ada) is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered customer service automation platform providing customer service automation solutions for over 300 companies, including notable brands, such as Meta, Verizon, and Shopify. Ada specializes in the customer service industry, leveraging generative AI technology – such as OpenAI's ChatGPT-4 – trained on more than 4 billion customer interactions
  • Employing 186 FTEs, its platform provides chat-based customer service solutions to autonomously resolve complex inquiries across multiple channels and languages. Since its inception, Ada has grown to [REDACTED] in revenue in 2024 and raised over [REDACTED] in funding. As a high-growth firm the company is not yet profitable with primary focus remaining on growth
  • Ada is one of eight companies to be selected for ISED's Global Hyper-Growth Project (GHP) when the first cohort was announced in July 2023. Ada achieved key milestones through its collaboration with GHP, including its first government funding agreement with FedDev Ontario; being included in Public Services and Procurement Canada's (PSPC) AI Vendor Source List; and receiving a Visa for a guest speaker to enter Canada from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) within a couple of days which was essential in securing their business relationship from the IndoPacific region company called BitGet
  • The company has been leveraging the use of AI since 2018 to power its customer support technologies. With recent advancements in generative AI, Ada has developed a new voice-based AI assistant technology that is be targeted at the telephone customer support segment, which represents 62% of all in-bound customer service interactions. Ada's phone-based AI assistant platform has been launched on the global market, with customer adoption growing at a strong pace

Project highlights:

Link to mandate: Scaling high potential firms and growing strategic sectors

Program: Business Scale-Up and Productivity (BSUP)

Project description:

  • The company is receiving support to implement a go-to-market strategy for its newly developed phone-based generative AI customer assistance platform
  • Project activities include hiring key sales and marketing resources and carrying out awareness campaigns to promote the platform around the world while leveraging Ada's relationship with project partners (Aircall and Twilio)
  • The project will improve market opportunity and revenues, and position the company as a leader in AI technology innovations
  • The project is located in Toronto

Start and end Dates: June 24, 2024 – October 31, 2026

Federal contribution: $1,750,000 (repayable)

Total project costs: [REDACTED]

Industry:

  • Information Technology / Artificial Intelligence
  • The AI industry is a transformative field driving automation, innovation, and intelligence across sectors, reshaping how technology interacts with the world

Benefits: Jobs and sales

Sales: [REDACTED]

Revenues: [REDACTED]

Export:

  • Projected to rise from [REDACTED] in 2024 to [REDACTED] in 2026
  • [REDACTED]

Jobs: 10 permanent jobs by 2026

Other project benefits:

Commercialization: Commercialize one new product, service, and process.

Other benefits: Form two partnerships as a result of this project

Partners/collaborators:

  • Aircall: The company seamlessly integrates voice, SMS, WhatsApp, and social media channels into a single platform – it will integrate Ada's technology as a sales channel partner
  • Twilio: Sale channel partner – Ada's technology will be integrated into this telephony provider's service offering

Project fact sheet: FBT INC.

Recipient overview:

  • Established in 1951, and located in St. Catharines, Ontario, FBT Inc. (FBT) is primarily engaged in the design, manufacture and service of precision components and tooling. The company offers products and services for a wide variety of industries, such as automotive, defense, semiconductor, power generation, mining, and food packaging
  • FBT attracts clients from SMEs to Fortune 500 multi-nationals across North America, including Siemens Energy, CANDU (Canada deuterium uranium) reactors, BWX Technologies, Dana Long Manufacturing, and Tesla Hibar
  • FBT is a private company with major shareholders being Rob Forstinger, CEO [REDACTED] and Chris Forstinger, VP [REDACTED]
  • FBT was previously approved for a non-repayable contribution of up to $180,000 under the Steel & Aluminum Initiative (S&AI) to implement state-of-the-art equipment (a CNC machine) and programming software to improve productivity and scale-up

Project highlights:

Link to Mandate: Scaling high potential firms and growing strategic sectors.

Program: Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSUP)

Project description:

  • FBT will adopt industry 4.0 capabilities, including machine tending robot arms, custom robot rails, pallet systems, part cleaning, inspection and other automation technologies
  • The company, located in St. Catharines, will also undertake associated facility upgrades to house the new equipment
  • The project will implement a robotics process that will be the first-in-kind in Canada, enabling the company to improve productivity and increase throughput capacity [REDACTED] of its current levels
  • The project aims to assist the company to fulfill growing demand through efficiencies and automation for priority areas in the electric vehicles (EV), semiconductor, and small modular reactor (SMR) sectors

Federal contribution: $3,900,000 Unconditionally Repayable Contribution from April 9, 2023, to March 31, 2028.

Other Government funding: N/A

Total project costs: [REDACTED]

Industry:

  • 332 – Fabricated metal product manufacturing
  • This subsector comprises establishments primarily engaged in forging, stamping, forming, turning and joining processes to produce ferrous and non-ferrous metal products, such as cutlery and hand tools, architectural and structural metal products, boilers, tanks and shipping containers, hardware, spring and wire products, turned products, and bolts, nuts and screws
  • 13,006 establishments with 95.9% having 0-99 employees (2023)
  • Ontario remains the hub of Canada's fabricated metal product manufacturing, employing 42.5% of the national workforce

Benefits: Jobs and sales:

Sales: Increase revenue from [REDACTED] in 2022 to a projected [REDACTED] by 2028.

Exports: Increase export sales from [REDACTED] to a projected [REDACTED] by 2028, [REDACTED]

Jobs: Create up to 40 FTEs, [REDACTED]

Collaborators:

  • Engineering Department at Niagara College to develop a skills training program for graduates to become senior designers, with two graduates transitioning to FTEs with the company

Project fact sheet: Blue J Legal Inc.

Recipient overview:

  • Incorporated in 2015, Blue Jay Legal Inc. is a legal technology company that develops AI and machine learning solutions for the tax and legal sectors in Canada, the US, and the UK
  • Employing over 80 employees, the company has over 400 clients, including major accounting firms, law firms, and government agencies (previously Department of Justice for an older product and currently CRA for the company's current product offering)
  • The company's flagship "Ask Blue J" product, which launched in 2023, has approximately 200 customers and generated [REDACTED] in revenue in the first year
  • Ownership in the company is spread across shareholders, including founders Benjamin Alarie, CEO, and Brett Janssen, Chief Technology Officer. The company reported revenue of [REDACTED] in 2023 and 2024, respectively

Project highlights:

Link to Mandate: Growth Companies | Sociétés en croissance

Program: Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSUP)

Project description:

  • The project is supporting Blue J Legal Inc. (Blue J) to enhance its flagship generative AI tax software, and accelerate the company's growth, market expansion and diversification into United States (US) market
  • The company's flagship AI-based tax research platform, "Ask Blue J" currently provides users insights on Canadian and US federal tax law but has limitations on US state and local tax law due to the multitude of jurisdictions
  • The project is to expand its tax research platform to include comprehensive coverage of United States state and local tax questions
  • Project activities include the acquisition of relevant state and local tax information and integration into the Ask Blue J architecture, data processing and AI algorithm development, testing and validation of the enhanced platform, and the development of strategic marketing and communication plans, as well as internal staff training to support full platform roll-out and US market introduction

FedDev Ontario Contribution: $2,000,000 in Unconditionally Repayable Contributions from June 24, 2024 to December 31, 2026

Other Government Funding: N/A

Total project costs: $5,975,000 from June 24, 2024 to December 31, 2026

Industry:

  • 541190 – Other legal services
  • This Canadian industry comprises establishments of legal practitioners, not classified to any other Canadian industry, primarily engaged in providing legal and paralegal services

Benefits: Jobs and sales:

Sales: Revenue is expected to increase from [REDACTED] in 2023 to [REDACTED] by project completion in 2026 [REDACTED]

Exports:

  • Exports are anticipated to grow from [REDACTED] by project completion in 2026 [REDACTED]
  • Prior to the implementation of this project, exports constituted 43% of total revenue [REDACTED]
  • The United States is Blue J Legal's target export market

Jobs:

  • The project is expected to create 18 new jobs by project completion in 2026, consisting of:
  • 7 Permanent Non-Professional, STEM jobs
  • 11 Permanent Professional, STEM jobs

Other project benefits:

Commercialization:

  • Commercialize up to one new product, service or process.
  • [REDACTED]

Intellectual property: N/A

Training/mentorship: Train/mentor up to eight people

Other benefits: N/A

Additional information:

  • In addition to this project, Blue J is listed as an approved vendor on CanadaBuys, with a national standing offer (valid until June 2026). As reported in Open Government, since 2019 Blue J has entered into contracts with 10 Government of Canada departments, including:
    • Canada Revenue Agency
    • Innovation Science and Economic Development
    • Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
    • Department of Justice
    • National Defence
    • Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
  • The company reports that they have developed one of the best tax research systems in the world, which has been adopted in other markets, including the U.S.'s Big four accounting firms
  • They indicate that they have a small subscription with CRA and have been promoting its benefits to implement enterprise-wide

Project fact sheet: Ecopia AI

Recipient overview:

  • Incorporated in 2013, Ecopia AI (Ecopia) is a technology company with the mission of digitizing the world using artificial intelligence (AI) through the creation of high-definition (HD) digital maps. Ecopia's core AI technology was created through PhD research at the University of Waterloo in 2013. Ecopia has been leveraged to support decision-making applications in over 100 countries and clients include insurance companies, telecommunications providers, and governments
  • Ecopia is an innovation growth story for southern Ontario. It received [REDACTED] in early support through the SmartStart initiative, which was co-funded by FedDev Ontario and the Ontario Centre for Innovation, and then continued to leverage Ontario Centre of Innovation funding (Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) and TalentEdge funding), as well as the CanExport program and supports through the MaRS as a MaRS Momentum supported company. Ecopia is now at the next stage of its growth cycle – scaling and at full commercialization
  • Ecopia is a Government of Canada Accelerated Growth Services (AGS) client. [REDACTED]

Project highlights:

Link to mandate: Scaling high potential firms and growing strategic sectors

Program: Business Scale-Up and Productivity (BSUP)

Project description:

  • The company is receiving support to expand its technology and commercialize its new cloud-based platform for accessing its proprietary mapping data. The company will utilize the new cloud-based platform, and related set of Application Programing Interface tools (API's) to provide end users access to its geospatial map data on a Data-as-a-Service model
  • Project activities include hiring key technical development, and sales and marketing resources to develop, launch and commercialize the online platform
  • The project is expected to improve market opportunity and revenues, [REDACTED]
  • The project is located in Toronto and was announced on March 4, 2025

Start and end Dates: April 4, 2023 – October 31, 2025

Federal contribution: $2,600,000 (repayable)

Total project costs: Surveying and mapping / Artificial Intelligence

Industry: Surveying and mapping / Artificial Intelligence

Benefits: Jobs and sales:

Revenues: [REDACTED]

Exports: [REDACTED]

Jobs: [REDACTED]

Commercialization: Commercialize one new product, service, and process (online platform).

Project fact sheet: ventureLAB

Recipient overview:

  • Incorporated in 2011 and located in Markham, ventureLAB is a leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies in Canada. The organization employees 42 FTEs and is led by seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders with decades of industry experience in building IP-rich start-ups, scale-ups and global multinationals, and commercializing transformational products on a global scale from Canada
  • ventureLAB offers in-depth programming and support to tech founders and entrepreneurs to raise capital, attract and retain talent, commercialize technology and IP, and acquire customers
  • ventureLAB is led by Hugh Chow (CEO); Avinash Persaud (VP Hardware Catalyst Initiative); Jane Gertner (Chief Growth Officer); Sep Assadian (VP); and Sophia Chan-Combrink (VP, External Relations)

Project highlights:

Link to mandate: Ecosystem building

Program: Regional Innovation Ecosystem (RIE)

Project description:

  • This project builds on FedDev Ontario's initial 2019 investment to build and equip ventureLAB's Hardware Catalyst Initiative (HCI) Lab and to deliver specialized programming to businesses in the hardware and semi-conductor industries. Through this project the HCI will be strengthened and expanded to help accelerate the pool of investment-ready companies by providing them with access to specialized equipment and services to get their innovative products to market faster
  • The project focuses on:
    • Lowering the barriers to commercialization by updating and adding first-in-the region equipment needed to support the development of technologies and be responsive to evolving standards, speeds, and requirements in transformative industries, such as EVs, automobility, MedTech and AI
    • Enhancing targeted business support services with a bespoke 18-24 month journey, tailored to the company's needs and growth stage, including pathways to access executive support, talent and capital
  • This project is located in Markham, Ontario

FedDev Ontario contribution: $4,500,000 in Non-Repayable Contributions from January 01, 2024 to March 31, 2027

Other Government funding: N/A

Total project costs: $9,000,000

Industry:

  • 541611 – Administrative Management and General Management Consulting services
  • This Canadian industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing advice and assistance to other organizations on administrative management issues, such as financial planning and budgeting; equity and asset management; records management; office planning; strategic and organizational planning; site selection; new business start-up; and business process improvement

Benefits: Jobs and support:

Support for businesses:

  • 30 businesses are expected to be supported indirectly through services offered as a direct result of the project by completion 2027, primarily receiving support for R&D
  • $2,190,000 of total project costs are directed specifically to R&D (24%)

Jobs:

  • This project is expected to indirectly create 170 jobs by supported companies by project completion in 2027

Other project benefits:

Commercialization: Up to 25 new products, services and processes commercialized by Ultimate Recipients, resulting in $10,000,000 in new sales. Intellectual Property: Up to 25 new intellectual properties created or licensed by Ultimate Recipients. Training/mentorship: N/A Other benefits: three collaborative partnerships developed Partners/collaborators:
  • Partnerships:
    • OES Inc
    • SMT Intelligence
    • MegaLab
    • STIM Canada Inc
    • Marvell Technology Inc.
  • Collaborations:
    • Keysight Technologies
    • Synopsys, Inc
    • Siemens

Project fact sheet: Toronto Region Board of Trade

Recipient overview:

  • Founded in 1845, the Toronto Region Board of Trade (TRBOT) is one of the largest chambers of commerce in North America, representing over 11,500 members of Toronto's business community
  • Located at its new Toronto waterfront headquarters, TRBOT offers business services, facilities, events, policy development and analysis, and advocacy to the city, provincial and federal governments
  • TRBOT's policy and advocacy initiatives are focused on two areas: business growth and regional competitiveness. Tied to these, TRBOT's policy committees explore priorities related to energy transition and commercialization of clean tech solutions, development of technology infrastructure and advancement of new industries, housing affordability, a diverse, competitive, inclusive and resilient talent ecosystem, and infrastructure, land use and transportation
  • The World Trade Centre Toronto (WTC-T) is TRBOT's business services arm, providing targeted international trade advisory services and expertise through comprehensive research, trade education, strategy building workshops, outbound and inbound trade missions, and connections to experts and networks. WTC-T's major initiatives are the Market Activation Program (MAP); Trade Accelerator Program (TAP); Growth Development Program, and The Economic Blueprint Institute (EBI)
  • TRBOT also convenes councils, organizes events, and maintains intelligence under two initiatives: The Pearson Economic Zone Project, which aims to identify and address priorities for the business district around the Pearson International Airport, and The Climate Economy Opportunity initiative, which positions the climate not just as a problem to solve but as a multi-trillion-dollar economic opportunity for the greater Toronto region
  • Since 2015, FedDev Ontario has approved TRBOT for up to nearly $21.5 million towards five projects:
    • In 2024, TRBOT was approved for a $2.4 million non-repayable contribution through the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) to support southern Ontario SMEs to adopt AI solutions
    • In 2022, TRBOT was approved for $1.75 million through the Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI), to support aerospace SMEs at different stages of the business life cycle
    • In 2020, TRBOT was approved for $11.8 million through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) to assist SMEs with digital planning, reconnecting with customers, supply chains, and employees by delivering a series of digital information seminars
    • In 2019, FedDev Ontario approved $5 million to TRBOT through the Regional Innovation Ecosystem (RIE) stream to expand its TAP across southern Ontario
  • In addition, TRBOT was approved for a $500,000 non-repayable contribution through the RIE stream to deliver programming to support Ontario-based companies with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) compliance process. The project does not have a formally executed contribution agreement and has not been publicly announced

Project highlights:

Link to mandate: Scaling high potential firms and growing strategic sectors

Program: Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII)

Project description:

  • The organization is receiving support to offer the AI Business Catalyst (AIBC), to support SMEs in southern Ontario by equipping them with the skills and tools to adopt AI solutions that enhance productivity, foster innovation, and ensure long-term competitiveness
  • The AIBC aims to provide AI expertise, training, mentorship, and other advisory support to up to 460 participants and 75 businesses, with a focus on adoption of AI in southern Ontario through either a Foundational or Advanced stream, depending on the digital maturity of the SME. Participants that are selected are eligible to complete three AIBC programs:
    • Executive certificates: supports decision-makers and mid-level professionals to attend one-day in-person facilitated workshops covering AI strategies, talent recruitment, and practical AI use cases to enhance their operational efficiencies and effectiveness
    • Growth Development Program: supports businesses through a six-month hybrid program refining their AI strategy, addressing complex implementation challenges, and integrating AI within existing systems
    • Roundtables: Supports businesses through 15, half-day in-person roundtables to join in interactive discussions with subject matter experts and explore actionable strategies tailored to their needs
  • The project is located at 100 Queens Quay East, Toronto

Start and End Dates: April 1, 2025 – September 30, 2027

Federal contribution: $2,400,000 (non-repayable)

Total project costs: $5,458,000

Industry:

  • Information Technology / Artificial Intelligence
  • The AI industry is a transformative field driving automation, innovation, and intelligence across sectors, reshaping how technology interacts with the world

Benefits: Jobs and sales:

Jobs: Up to eight permanent jobs maintained

Other project benefits:

Businesses supported: Support up to 75 businesses.

Businesses productivity: Support up to 75 businesses for business productivity.

Training/mentorship: Train/mentor up to 460 people.

Partners/collaborators: [REDACTED]

Project fact sheet: Ontario Centre of Innovation

Recipient overview:

  • Founded in 1987, the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) is a Toronto-based, pan-Ontario incorporated not-for-profit organization established as the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) by the Government of Ontario (the Province). OCI develops and delivers programs and services that accelerate the development, commercialization and adoption of advanced technologies in order to drive job creation in Ontario
  • OCI works towards its mandate by bringing together industry, academia and government to facilitate knowledge transfer, collaborative research and development (R&D), technology development and commercialization opportunities. OCI operates with annual funding from the Province and is a delivery agent for several economic development programs and initiatives
  • The Ontario Centre of Innovation is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors, and led by Claudia Krywiak (President and CEO), Hilten Makim (VP, Finance & Operations), Raed Kadri (VP Strategic Initiatives, Business Development and Head of OVIN), and Alicia Pereira (VP Marketing and Communications)

Project highlights:

Link to mandate: Ecosystem building

Program: Regional Innovation Ecosystem (RIE)

Project description:

  • OCI will develop two world-class, live-environment test and demonstration sites (i.e., "Pilot Zones") in Toronto and Windsor/Sarnia to advance commercialization of emerging vehicular mobility and enabling technologies under its OVIN program. The Pilot Zones will enable SMEs to test, pilot, demonstrate and deploy their emerging technologies in real-world scenarios with participation from potential co-development partners, customers and/or investors
    • The Toronto site will focus on urban mobility and the Windsor-Sarnia site will focus on cross-border mobility; each of these sites will leverage existing municipal/provincial/state regulatory frameworks that enable technology testing in live environments
    • The Pilot Zones will fill a gap for SMEs seeking to commercialize connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) and zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) technologies, as well as SMEs seeking to commercialize key enabling technologies, such as artificial intelligence, internet of things/smart infrastructure, payment solutions, goods delivery solutions, and transit technologies
    • FedDev Ontario investment will be matched by confirmed industry partners in the private and public sectors, [REDACTED]
  • This project is located in Toronto, Ontario

FedDev Ontario contribution: $8,000,000 in Non-Repayable Contributions from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2027

Other Government funding: $8,000,000 in matching funds from the Ontario Centre of Innovation.

Total project costs: $16,000,000

Industry:

  • 541611 – Administrative management and general management consulting services
  • This Canadian industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing advice and assistance to other organizations on administrative management issues, such as financial planning and budgeting; equity and asset management; records management; office planning; strategic and organizational planning; site selection; new business start-up; and business process improvement

Benefits: Jobs and sales:

  • Support for businesses:
    • 42 businesses are expected as a direct result of the project by completion 2027 – 21, who are receiving support for R&D
    • $2,100,000 of total project costs are directed specifically to R&D (26%)
    • Jobs: This project is expected to create 113 permanent jobs and maintain 232 permanent jobs by project completion in 2027.

Other project benefits:

Commercialization: Commercialize up to 42 new products, services and processes, resulting in $19,000,000 in new sales.

Intellectual Property: Create up to five new intellectual properties.

Training/mentorship: N/A

Other benefits: 24 new partnerships and collaborations developed

Partners/collaborators:

  • City of Toronto: The City of Toronto facilitates access to infrastructure and physical spaces for technology testing and collaborates with OCI to establish calls for applications and challenge statements for the pilot initiatives in Toronto
  • Rogers Communications Canada Inc.: Rogers has committed to contributing [REDACTED] in in-kind resources and services such as but not limited to technical and subject matter expertise, 5G infrastructure
  • [REDACTED]: [REDACTED]
  • Federal Bridge Corporation Limited: FBCL serves as a pilot and testing site for the OVIN Technology Pilot Zones in the Sarnia are and will collaborate with OCI to identify need to pilot and adopt new technologies and solutions to improve the movement of people and goods across borders
  • Windsor Detroit Borderlink Limited: The Windsor-Detroit Tunnel serves as a pilot and testing site in Windsor area and will collaborate with OCI to establish calls for applications and challenge statements for new technologies to improve the movement of people and goods across borders
  • Toronto Transit Corporation (TTC): The TTC serves as a site partner in the Urban Transportation Zone, expanding the reach and impact of the TPZ program. This partnership enables SMEs to test solutions directly within TTC's operational environment

Government mandate letter

May 21, 2025

Dear Colleagues:

Last month, Canadians elected a new Government to stand up for our country and to build a strong economy that works for everyone. As members of the 30th Ministry, we must fulfill this mandate with purpose and force. We must meet a series of unprecedented challenges with both a disciplined focus on core priorities and new approaches to governing.

The Context: A Generational Challenge

Canada faces a series of crises. In a more dangerous and divided world, geopolitical risks are rising, threatening our sovereignty. The global trading system – which has helped power Canada's prosperity for decades – is undergoing the biggest transformation since the fall of the Berlin Wall. At home, our longstanding weak productivity is straining government finances, making life less affordable for Canadian families, and threatening to undermine the sustainability of vital social programs on which Canadians rely.

The new federal Government has an immense responsibility to address these challenges head on with focus, determination, and fundamentally different approaches to governing. We must redefine Canada's international, commercial, and security relationships. In the process, we need to develop a defence industrial policy that secures Canada, fulfills our responsibilities to our allies, and helps build our economy.

Canada must build an enormous amount of new infrastructure at speeds not seen in generations. This includes the infrastructure to diversify our trading relationships; to become an energy superpower in both clean and conventional energies; to restore affordability to housing; and to secure our borders and our communities.

The combination of the scale of this infrastructure build and the transformative nature of artificial intelligence (AI) will create opportunities for millions of Canadians to find new rewarding careers – provided they have timely access to the education and training they need to develop the necessary skills.

Government itself must become much more productive by deploying AI at scale, by focusing on results over spending, and by using scarce tax dollars to catalyse multiples of private investment.

Our Priorities

We will focus on seven priorities:

  1. Establishing a new economic and security relationship with the United States and strengthening our collaboration with reliable trading partners and allies around the world.
  2. Building one Canadian economy by removing barriers to interprovincial trade and identifying and expediting nation-building projects that will connect and transform our country.
  3. Bringing down costs for Canadians and helping them to get ahead.
  4. Making housing more affordable by unleashing the power of public-private cooperation, catalysing a modern housing industry, and creating new careers in the skilled trades.
  5. Protecting Canadian sovereignty and keeping Canadians safe by strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces, securing our borders, and reinforcing law enforcement.
  6. Attracting the best talent in the world to help build our economy, while returning our overall immigration rates to sustainable levels.
  7. Spending less on government operations so that Canadians can invest more in the people and businesses that will build the strongest economy in the G7.

Working Together

We must deliver for Canadians as a team committed to real Cabinet government. The attainment of these objectives will require collaboration and coordination within Cabinet. I expect each Cabinet committee, led by their Chair, to drive and monitor our progress, with oversight from the Priorities, Planning and Strategy Committee, and direction from the full Cabinet.

While fulfilling your core responsibilities as a member of the Ministry, you should identify how specifically you can contribute to these missions. You will be expected and empowered to lead, and to bring new ideas, clear focus, and decisive action to your work. Over the coming weeks, I will look to each of you to identify the key goals and measures of success on which to evaluate the results you will achieve for Canadians as a member of the Ministry

We will work together with Parliamentarians and the public service. We will work in true partnership with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples. And we will bring together labour, business, and civil society to build a Canada worthy of our children and grandchildren.

In addressing the tasks before us, we must remain true to Canadian values. Canada is a dynamic country that celebrates our diversity, cares for the most vulnerable among us, and strives for a better future for all. The new federal Government will continue the vital work of advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. We will fight climate change. We will uphold the rule of law, protect our democratic institutions, and reinforce the unity of our country.

Canada's challenges are not small, but we can more than meet them with vigour and a constructive approach. That is how Canadians have built the best country in the world. That is how we will build it to be even better.

In partnership,

The Rt. Hon. Mark Carney,
Prime Minister of Canada

Standing Committee on Science and Research (SRSR)

Parliamentary Affairs, August 2025

Committee mandate:

The mandate of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research (SRSR) is to study all matters relating to science and research, including any reports of the Chief Science Advisor, and any other matter which the House refers to the standing committee.

Committee members:
Name & role Party Riding SRSR member since
Chair
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON June 2025
Vice-chairs
Tony Baldinelli
Shadow Minister for Tourism		 Conservative Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON December 2021
Maxime Blanchette-Joncas
Critic for Youth, Innovation, and Science		 Bloc Québécois Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC December 2021
Members
Kelly DeRidder Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON June 2025
Vincent Neil Ho Conservative Richmond Hill South, ON June 2025
Helena Jaczek Liberal Markham—Stouffville, ON September 2023
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB June 2025
Jennifer McKelvie
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure		 Liberal Ajax, ON June 2025
Taleeb Noormohamed
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation		 Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC June 2025
Aslam Rana Liberal Hamilton Centre, ON June 13, 2025

Committee member biographies

Chair: Salma Zahid (Scarborough Centre – Don Valley East, Ontario)

Liberal

  • First elected as the Member of Parliament Scarborough Centre, in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021. Re-elected for Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East in April 2025
  • MP Zahid is also a member of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) and the Liaison Committee (LIAI). She previously served as Chair of CIMM, and has sat on numerous committees since her election in 2015
  • Prior to her election, MP Zahid was a community organizer working to support women, families and youth. She has held several public service positions with the Government of Ontario
  • MP Zahid holds a Master in Educational Management and Administration from the University of London's Institute of Education, and an MBA from Quaid e Azam University in Pakistan

Key parliamentary interests:

  • Immigration
  • Anti-Palestinian racism

Legislative Activities:

  • Sponsored Bills: C-331 An Act to amend the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act (duty of candour) (Outside the Order of Precedence).

1st Vice-chair: Tony Baldinelli (Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario)

Conservative

  • First elected as the Member of Parliament for Niagara Falls in 2019 and re-elected in 2021. Re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake in April 2025
  • Previously served on numerous committees, including the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU), Standing Committee on International (CIIT) and the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic (COVID)
  • Prior to being elected, MP Baldinelli worked at the Niagara Parks Commission for 18 years. In September 2020, Conservative leader Erin O'Toole appointed MP Baldinelli special adviser on Tourism Recovery

Key parliamentary interests:

  • Tourism
  • Correctional services

Legislative activities:

  • Sponsored Bills: C-324 An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders) - Outside the Order of Precedence

2nd Vice-chair: Maxime Blanchette-Joncas (Rimouski—La Matapédia, Québec)

Bloc Québécois

  • First elected as the Member of Parliament for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques in September 2019 and re-elected in 2021. Re-elected for Rimouski—La Matapédia in April 2025
  • MP Blanchette-Joncas previously served as the Vice-Chair of SRSR and the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and was a member of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic (COVI)
  • Prior to being elected, MP Blanchette-Joncas worked at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), and later served as Deputy Director General of the Municipality of L'Isle-Verte
  • He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Quebec at Rimouski

Key parliamentary interests:

  • Science and innovation
  • Support for Quebec and French language researchers and communities across Canada
  • Support for small and medium-sized universities

Legislative activities:

  • Sponsored Bills:
  • 44-1: C-346 – An Act to amend the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (certificate of competency) - Outside the Order of Precedence
  • 43-2: C-281 – An Act to amend the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (certificate of competency) - Outside the Order of Precedence, and C-295 An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (recent graduates working in a designated region) - made to second reading in the House of Commons

Kelly DeRidder (Kitchener Centre, Ontario)

Conservative

  • Elected as the Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre in April 2025
  • Prior to entering politics, MP DeRidder was a professor at Conestoga College and project manager for Rockwell Automation

Key parliamentary interests:

  • NIL

Legislative activities:

  • NIL

Vincent Neil Ho (Richmond Hill South, Ontario)

Conservative

  • First elected as the Member of Parliament for Richmond Hill South in April 2025
  • Prior to being elected, MP Neil Ho worked as a corporate lawyer, advising Canadian and international business clients on regulatory compliance and transactional matter

Key parliamentary interests:

  • NIL

Legislative activities:

  • NIL

Helena Jaczek (Markham—Stouffville, Ontario)

Liberal

  • First elected as the Member of Parliament for Markham—Stouffville in 2019, and re-elected in 2021 and in April 2025.
  • MP Jaczek formerly served as the Minister of Public Services and Procurement (Aug 2022 – July 2023) and the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (Oct 2021 – Aug 2022)
  • She was a member of SRSR in the 44th Parliament, and previously served on a number of committees, including INDU and the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN)
  • Prior to entering federal politics, MP Jaczek was a Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario, and served Ontario's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (Feb 2018 – June 2018) and Minister of Community and Social Services (June 2014 – Feb 2018)

Key parliamentary interests:

  • Health research and data collection
  • Mental health and addiction

Legislative activities:

  • Sponsored Bills: C-303 An Act to establish a national strategy for health data collection -Outside the Order of Precedence

Jagsharan Singh Mahal (Edmonton Southeast, Alberta)

Conservative

  • First elected as the Member of Parliament for Edmonton Southeast in April 2025
  • Prior to being elected, MP Singh Mahal worked as a lawyer for 12 years

Key parliamentary interests:

  • NIL

Legislative activities:

  • NIL

Jennifer McKelvie (Ajax, Ontario)

Liberal

  • First elected as the Member of Parliament for Ajax in April 2025
  • Prior to entering federal politics, MP McKelvie was the Deputy Mayor of Toronto (Nov 2022 – May 2025), and the Toronto city councillor for Ward 25 Scarborough—Rouge Park (Dec 2018 – May 2025)
  • She previously worked as an environmental geoscientist and holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto Scarborough and a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Toronto in geology

Key parliamentary interests:

  • NIL

Legislative activities:

  • NIL

Taleeb Noormohamed (Vancouver Granville, British Columbia)

Liberal

  • First elected as the Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville in 2021 and re-elected in April 2025
  • MP Noormohamed is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation (June 2025 – present). He previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Sept 2023 – Feb 2025) and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs (Canada-U.S.) (Feb 2025 – Mar 2025)
  • He has previously served on a number of committees, including the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (CHPC) and the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations (REGS)
  • Prior to his election, he held senior executive roles in with a number of technology firms including Farfetch and VRBO

Key parliamentary interests:

  • Media and technology

Legislative activities:

  • NIL

Aslam Rana (Hamilton Centre, Ontario)

Liberal

  • First elected as the Member of Parliament for Hamilton Centre in April 2025
  • Prior to his election, he worked in Civil Engineering for the City of Toronto. He holds both a Master and Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering
  • MP Rana stated that he would focus on housing and infrastructure in Hamilton Centre, drawing on his engineering background

Key parliamentary interests:

  • NIL

Legislative activities:

  • NIL

Media scan: AI

Coverage Period—July 1, 2025 – October 29, 2025

In July, outlets reported on a University of Waterloo tool shown to easily remove AI watermarks raising doubts about global deepfake prevention efforts, while The National Post noted Canada and the U.K. are launching a joint AI safety initiative amid the U.S.'s push for a less regulated approach (CBC ).

The following month, theJournal de Montrealreported that a 60-year-old American was hospitalized after following ChatGPT's harmful medical advice, while outlets warned of deepfakes targeting officials like Premier Scott Moe and Prime Minister Carney (The Canadian Press , La Presse ). The Globe and Mailreported that a Canadian AI startup is using technology to help patients with severe mental illnesses check their own hallucinations. Coverage also reported on a Psychiatric Services study that found inconsistent AI responses to suicide queries, prompting calls for refinement, which coincided with a lawsuit alleging ChatGPT coached a teen's suicide and reports of parents testifying before the U.S. Senate over similar AI-linked deaths ( Toronto Star , National Post , The Globe and Mail The Canadian Press ). An outlying article commented on Minister Solomon saying he used a Google AI tool to brief himself on a previous bill, but the outlet critiqued the tool for being inaccurate ( The Logic ).

More recently, articles discussed Minister Solomon's goal to balance innovation and regulation as Canada launches an AI task force informed by a recent TikTok privacy probe (Toronto Star , The Globe and Mail The Canadian Press , Toronto Star ). OpenAI added parental controls to ChatGPT amid rising teen use (La Presse ), while over 200 experts signed the "AI Red Lines" decree urging global limits on AI use by 2026 (Toronto Star ). Articles highlighted parental concerns over if kids should use AI, citing both the benefits and mental health risks, while an Ontario woman lost $90,000 US to a deepfake of Doug Ford promoting a fake cryptocurrency (The Globe and Mail , Hamilton Spectator ). Outlets discussed concerns over AI being used at the Canada Revenue Agency and highlighted the University of Waterloo's new AI watchdog tool designed to keep other AI systems in check. Coverage also shared discussion on the growing use of AI tools across Canada's health systems ( The Canadian Press , Waterloo Record , Waterloo Record , The Hill Times ).

This week, The Hill Timesraised concerns about the lack of Black representation on the AI Strategy Task Force, while coverage highlighted Minister Solomon's pledge at the Govern or Be Governed conference in Montreal to address deepfakes, data transfer issues, and the use of AI by children, as well as the potential for related legislation ( BetaKit , MobileSyrup ).

ISED: Question & answer package

Support for the AI research ecosystem

Q1. How is Canada making sure its AI research ecosystem stays competitive internationally?

Q2. What is Canada doing to support fundamental and applied AI research, help commercialize innovations, and ensure equitable funding across regions and institutions?

Q3. What outcomes from the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy justify continued investment?

Q4. How is the Global Innovations Clusters program helping AI research translate into real-world applications?

Q5. Why does the country lag in adopting and commercializing AI research innovations to generate tangible economic and productivity benefits for Canadians?

AI workforce and talent attraction

Q6. Why is attracting international AI talent important for Canada's research ecosystem and a central pillar of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy (PCAIS)?

Q7. What new measures are needed to help talented researchers come to Canada and stay?

Q8. Given recent changes, what is the government doing to ensure top global talent can come here quickly and contribute to our research ecosystem?

Q9. How does the government plan to support early and mid-career researchers in AI who are struggling to secure funding in a highly competitive AI landscape?

Compute capacity and AI infrastructure

Q10. Are recent AI infrastructure investments enough to address the barriers faced by researchers?

Q11. What national infrastructure is in place to support high-speed connectivity, secure data sharing, and collaboration for AI research across Canada?

AI safety, ethics and responsible innovation

Q12. How is the federal government ensuring Canada's AI safety leadership, and what concrete steps is it taking to foster collaboration and multidisciplinary research on AI risks?

Q13. What types of research and collaboration are supported by the Canadian AI Safety Institute?

Q14. Why is the AI Safety Institute situated within the Government of Canada?

Q15. How is Canada ensuring AI safety while maintaining international leadership in AI research?

Q16. In what ways does the Voluntary Code of Conduct contribute to a responsible AI research ecosystem in Canada, and what evidence exists regarding its adoption?

Q17. Given that the Voluntary Code of Conduct for AI is non-binding, what is the government doing to ensure responsible AI development and effective risk mitigation?

International leadership and governance

Q18. How is Canada advancing responsible AI innovation and governance internationally, and what steps are being taken to align Canadian AI research with global standards?

Protection and valorisation of AI discoveries

Q19. How is ISED ensuring that Canadian-led AI research and discoveries are protected and commercialized rather than lost to foreign acquisition or licences overseas?

Support for the AI research ecosystem

Q1. How is Canada making sure its AI research ecosystem stays competitive internationally?

  • AI represents a significant technological advancement of our era, and Canada is implementing a comprehensive strategy designed to maintain its competitive position. Canada was the first country in the world to launch a funded national AI strategy—the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy (PCAIS)
  • PCAIS, introduced in Budget 2017, has invested approximately $742 million in the Canadian AI ecosystem since 2017. Investments have supported dynamic AI ecosystems through the Canada-CIFAR AI Chairs Program and the National AI Institutes (NAIIs): Amii in Edmonton, Mila in Montréal, and the Vector Institute in Toronto and Waterloo. This research community forms the nucleus of one of the richest AI talent pools in the world
    • Through the CIFAR AI Chairs Program, Canada recruits the world's leading AI researchers to Canada, while retaining top home-grown talent. Since 2017, over 125 researchers have been appointed as Canada CIFAR AI Chairs, including over 50 leading international researchers recruited to Canada
    • The NAIIs report that approximately 250 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows complete training every year
    • The Canada CIFAR AI Chairs are the third highest impact AI research group in the world (on a per researcher basis), trailing only Google and the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, and leading Meta, MIT, Oxford, Stanford, Tsinghua, and many others
    • They are 4.5 times more likely than an average AI researcher worldwide to have a paper in the top one percent most cited journals
  • The Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy (SCS), including $2 billion announced in Budget 2024, will ensure that Canadian businesses, innovations and researchers have access to the compute capacity to drive research and develop made-in-Canada AI solutions across all sectors of the economy. Building on this, Budget 2025 announced $925.6 million over five years to support large-scale sovereign public AI infrastructure to bolster AI compute capacity for public and private research (Note: $800 million was previously announced through Budget 2024)
  • The Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) Strategy, introduced in Budget 2018, aims to support Canada's researchers by ensuring that they have the digital tools and services necessary to turn big data into scientific breakthroughs. Through the DRI Strategy, the Digital Research Alliance of Canada ("the Alliance") plays a central role in supporting Canada's advanced research and innovation landscape by providing essential DRI, advanced research computing, data management, and research software. Since 2019, the Alliance has invested $296 million through the DRI Strategy to increase the total compute capacity available to our nation's researchers by more than fifty percent, develop tools, services and training available through their national platform, and coordinate a network of over 200 highly-qualified professionals across Canada that are integral to leveraging this technology to its fullest. The DRI Strategy has committed up to $258 million to continue this work through to 2030

Q2. What is Canada doing to support fundamental and applied AI research, help commercialize innovations, and ensure equitable funding across regions and institutions?

  • The federal government is committed to supporting both fundamental and applied AI research
  • Under the Talent and Research pillar of PCAIS, CIFAR is enhancing talent recruitment and research capacity at AI institutes, receiving $208 million over ten years (2021–2031). This funding supports the three NAII institutes (Amii, Mila, and Vector), which serve as hubs for research, talent development, and commercialization across regions
  • The National AI Institutes host Canada CIFAR AI Chairs and act as central hubs of researchers, students, and companies at the heart of Canada's leading AI ecosystems. The institutes connect postsecondary institutions from coast to coast and enable the translation of academic research into real-world outcomes through their commercialization programming
    • Since 2021, investments through the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy have helped the National AI Institutes provide training and support to over 1,800 companies while leveraging $37 million in private sector investment
    • 85 percent of these companies have reported that the support of the National AI Institutes has improved their ability to develop, adopt, or commercialize AI
    • 75 percent of these companies have reported productivity gains, cost savings, or other operational efficiencies as a result of their work with the Institutes (Source: CIFAR and the National AI Institutes)
  • Supporting research and development (R&D) and commercialization efforts, other federal programs and initiatives, including the Strategic Response Fund and Global Innovation Clusters support company R&D and commercialization efforts. Since 2018, Global Innovation Clusters have backed 131 AI research projects worth $924 million, promoting industry collaboration to tackle practical challenges with advanced technologies. Currently, the Strategic Response Fund has 30 active projects in the digital and emerging technologies space, including projects with AI elements. The complementary strategies and measures are helping to maintain Canada's position as a world leader in AI, empowering businesses to be more competitive, and ensuring more Canadians benefit from growth in the digital economy
  • Canada's federal research granting agencies—the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)—help researchers make discoveries and create knowledge that benefit Canadians and the world. Since 2008, Canada's federal granting agencies have invested over $1.5 billion into fundamental, investigator-driven AI research grants (e.g., NSERC Discovery grants). These early-stage foundational grants, awarded through competitive processes, complement the targeted and applied funding provided through PCAIS research and talent investments. In 2021–22 alone, the granting agencies provided nearly $200 million to support research and training in AI

Q3. What outcomes from the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy justify continued investment?

  • The Pan-Canadian AI Strategy has significantly bolstered Canada's AI ecosystem, fostering innovation, economic growth, and responsible AI practices
  • Through the Strategy, the Government of Canada worked with the CIFAR to establish three National AI Institutes and launched the CIFAR AI Research Chair program
  • Since 2021, the NAIIs have provided training and support to over 1,800 companies while leveraging $37 million in private sector investment. 85 percent of these companies have reported that the support of the National AI Institutes has improved their ability to develop, adopt, or commercialize AI. 75 percent of these companies have reported productivity gains, cost savings, or other operational efficiencies as a result of their work with the Institutes
  • The NAIIs and CIFAR AI Research Chair program have supported the breakthrough research of three winners of the world's most prestigious awards:
    • Yoshua Bengio (Mila) won the 2018 Turing Award with Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun. He is recognized worldwide as a pioneer for his work in deep learning, as the most cited computer scientist worldwide, and the most-cited living scientist across all fields by total citations
    • Geoffrey Hinton (The Vector Institute) won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for the foundational work on neural networks. Research that has enabled the AI we know today
    • Richard S. Sutton (Amii) won the 2024 Turing Award for his pioneering work in reinforcement learning — a key method enabling AI systems to learn through interaction
    • Through the CIFAR AI Chairs Program, Canada recruits the world's leading AI researchers to Canada, while retaining top home-grown talent. Since 2017, over 125 researchers have been appointed as Canada CIFAR AI Chairs, including over 50 leading international researchers recruited to Canada
    • The NAIIs report that approximately 250 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows complete training every year
    • The Canada CIFAR AI Chairs are the third highest impact AI research group in the world (on a per researcher basis), trailing only Google and the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, and leading Meta, MIT, Oxford, Stanford, Tsinghua, and many others
    • They are 4.5 times more likely than an average AI researcher worldwide to have a paper in the top one percent most cited journals
    • In 2024-25, 418 trainees participated in CIFAR's NextGen AI training programs, which help them develop the skills, expertise and networks they need to be successful in their future careers. These programs are dedicated to engaging equity-deserving groups in AI, and supporting programs that advance AI approaches for positive societal benefits
    • These outcomes demonstrate that our investments are yielding strong returns in talent development, commercialization, and global leadership. They also reinforce the need to continue investing in infrastructure and policy to maintain momentum and ensure Canada remains at the forefront

Q4. How is the Global Innovations Clusters program helping AI research translate into real-world applications?

  • The Global Innovation Clusters bring together firms, not-for-profits, and research institutions to foster innovation and jointly address challenges that no single company, sector or community can overcome alone. Each cluster funds industry-led, collaborative projects to solve real-world problems using advanced technologies, including AI. The matched funding de-risks early-stage AI research for businesses and encourages private-sector investment in leading-edge research-backed innovation and commercialization
  • The clusters also play an important role in building strong innovation ecosystems by connecting startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and large firms with universities and research institutes, including those focused on AI, supporting knowledge-sharing networks, training opportunities, and talent mobility. This approach ensures that AI research is integrated with industrial challenges rather than confined to academia
  • For example, the Protein Industries Canada (PIC) project led by Canadian company Precision AI uses AI to pinpoint weeds and micro-drop herbicides with drones
  • Talent development and skills training is another facet of Cluster programming, including supporting AI-specific upskilling and reskilling initiatives to expand the talent pool and meet the critical demand to fulfil Canada's current and future workforce needs. This includes partnerships with colleges and universities to create AI-related micro-credentials and specialized training programs
  • Since their inception in 2018, the Clusters have supported 131 AI projects with academic or research partners. The projects have a total project value of $924 million and have brought together 970 collaborators, 222 (or 23 percent) of which were academic or research partners

Q5. Why does the country lag in adopting and commercializing AI research innovations to generate tangible economic and productivity benefits for Canadians?

  • Canada's early and sustained investments, over $3 billion since 2017, have built a globally recognized AI research ecosystem anchored by CIFAR, Mila, Vector, and Amii, attracting top talent and advancing responsible innovation
  • More recent federal investments have focused on connecting discovery to deployment; linking researchers with startups, SMEs, and industry to accelerate commercialization through programs such as the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, the Strategic Innovation Fund, and the Regional Development Agencies
  • We have heard from many Canadian firms, particularly SMEs, that they face barriers when it comes to commercialization and adoption. These challenges include limited AI expertise and talent, access to capital, data readiness, and compute access
  • We're already working to address these challenges, starting with the launch of the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy and an investment of $2 billion to bolster sovereign AI compute capacity for research and industry
  • As we look to the next phase of Canada's AI Strategy, we will draw on the input from the AI Task Force and public consultations to inform how we will accelerate AI adoption, strengthen commercialization pathways and maximize the economic and societal returns on Canada's AI investments

AI workforce and talent attraction:

Q6. Why is attracting international AI talent important for Canada's research ecosystem and a central pillar of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy (PCAIS)?

  • Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Government of Canada is investing in efforts to drive the adoption of AI across Canada's economy and society. Under the Talent and Research pillar, CIFAR has been working with Canada's national AI institutes—Amii (Edmonton), Mila (Montréal) and the Vector Institute (Toronto and Waterloo)—to attract, retain and develop top AI talent in Canada
  • Canada's AI ecosystem is built on talent. Canadian researchers like Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, and Richard Sutton laid the groundwork for many of the advances that underpin today's AI technology, and Canada's AI researchers are amongst the world's best. But this advantage is by no means secure – globally, the competition for AI talent is accelerating. Canada's investments through the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy aim to retain top home-grown Canadian AI talent, and also attract the best and the brightest from around the world to make Canada their home
  • By working alongside global leaders, Canadian AI researchers and graduate students will gain invaluable training and mentorship. This global top talent will also serve as a lightning rod – attracting additional highly-qualified people to Canada. Ultimately, this investment contributes to a robust talent pipeline, safeguarding Canada's long-term capacity in areas, including AI that is critical to our economic growth and social well-being, and positioning Canada as a world-leading science and innovation hub, now and in the future. Expanding the pool of specialized AI talent would help advance the National AI Strategy, attracting global experts, training the next generation of scientists, and supporting industry partnerships and commercialization

Q7. What new measures are needed to help talented researchers come to Canada and stay?

  • The Government of Canada is committed to supporting science and research and recognizes that world-class talent is essential to drive innovation, strengthen Canada's resilience, and secure leadership in a rapidly changing global economy
  • That is why Budget 2025 announced up to $1.7 billion to recruit top international research talent to help advance Canada's global competitiveness and contribute to the economy of the future
  • This initiative is part of the broader International Talent Attraction Strategy and Action Plan, led by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The multi-pronged strategy seizes the opportunity to recruit leading global researchers who are seeking opportunities abroad given the funding cuts and policy changes being implemented in the United States
  • The talent attraction initiative announced in Budget 2025 aims to recruit over a thousand researchers. The three-pronged approach includes funding to the three federal granting agencies for:
    • Research Chairs focused on transformational and translational research ($1 billion over 13 years)
    • Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers ($133.6 million over three years)
    • Assistant professors ($120 million over 12 years)
    • To ensure attractive recruitment packages, Budget 2025 also provides $400 million over seven years for the Canada Foundation of Innovation to deliver research infrastructure support for the recruited Chairs. Together, these initiatives will position Canada to compete for leading, global research talent at a time when competition for highly-skilled talent is accelerating
    • Canada is home to some of the world's leading research talent, thanks in part to the government's strong support for research and innovation. For example, Budget 2024 provided $825 million to increase the annual value and number of scholarships and fellowships to support the next generation of talent. It also provided $1.8 billion to the federal granting councils to increase research grant funding. This funding reinforces our government's commitment to science and research and supporting Canada's best research talent

Q8. Given recent changes, what is the government doing to ensure top global talent can come here quickly and contribute to our research ecosystem?

  • Budget 2025 invests $1.7 billion to recruit over 1,000 world-class researchers, attract top doctoral and post-doctoral fellows, and support universities in hiring internationally – positioning our immigration system to meet the needs of a modern, competitive economy
  • The International Talent Attraction Strategy and Action Plan will position the immigration system to meet strategic labour market needs, ensuring Canada has the talent required to drive innovation and growth in our strategic industries, while respecting immigration targets to ensure a sustainable immigration rate
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will deliver dedicated support and accelerated processing for recruited talent, helping ensure that world-class researchers are in place as soon as possible
  • If Pressed: Each year, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship tables the Immigration Levels Plan, a forward-looking snapshot of immigration targets. These measures fall under the mandate of my colleague, but we're working closely to ensure talent pipelines support Canada's AI goals

Q9. How does the government plan to support early and mid-career researchers in AI who are struggling to secure funding in a highly competitive AI landscape?

  • Early career researchers inspire and drive some of Canada's most innovative, forward-looking research. By supporting early career researchers, Canada unlocks new discoveries and strengthens its position as a world leader in research talent development
    • The three federal research granting agencies (the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation to support early career researchers in a number of ways
    • This includes, for example, dedicating a portion of appropriate flagship research programs' funding toward early career researcher-led projects, relative to the number of applications received. The funding strategy has been implemented, for example, for NSERC's Discovery Grants, SSHRC's Insight Development Grants, and the tri-agency New Frontiers in Research Fund
    • Budget 2025 proposes to provide up to $120 million over 12 years, starting in 2026-27, to the federal granting agencies to support universities' recruitment of international assistant professors. This investment is part of a broader "International Talent Attraction Strategy and Action Plan" aimed at strengthening Canada's research ecosystem and global competitiveness
    • The CIFAR AI Chairs program is open to early-career researchers, helping to recruit and retain top emerging talent in Canada's AI ecosystem
    • The Canadian AI Safety Institute, through CIFAR, funds high-risk, high-reward projects and prioritizes support for emerging and student researchers to build the next generation of AI safety experts

Compute capacity and AI infrastructure

Q10. Are recent AI infrastructure investments enough to address the barriers faced by researchers?

  • Canada ranks at the bottom of the G7 in terms of publicly available computing capacity. The limited domestic supply of high-density graphic processing unit (GPU) infrastructure constrains the ability of researchers to train and deploy advanced AI models at scale. Without access to leading-edge AI infrastructure, Canadian researchers and innovators risk being left behind
  • The rapid adoption of AI technologies is fueling investment in data centres worldwide, with private sector investors and governments acting urgently to ensure their economies have the AI compute infrastructure required to capitalize on advances in AI technology. Canada's long-term competitiveness in AI depends on ensuring that researchers have access to world-class compute resources that are otherwise unavailable domestically
  • Budget 2025 builds on previous commitments to sovereign infrastructure by proposing $925.6 million over five years to build large-scale sovereign public AI infrastructure to power public and private research and innovation. Establishing a sovereign public compute facility will directly strengthen Canada's capacity to undertake foundational and applied AI research, attract and retain top talent, and foster collaboration across universities, startups, and established firms. Anchoring compute capacity in the public research domain ensures broad, equitable access while creating a platform that industry can leverage for research and development partnerships aligned with national priorities

Q11. What national infrastructure is in place to support high-speed connectivity, secure data sharing, and collaboration for AI research across Canada?

  • CANARIE is a federally funded, not-for-profit organization that operates Canada's national ultra-high-speed research and education network, connecting researchers, educators, and innovators across the country and to global partners
  • As a cornerstone of Canada's Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) Strategy, receiving $176 million over five years as part of Budget 2024, CANARIE supports collaboration and data-intensive research through initiatives such as the National Research and Education Network (NREN), Research Software programs, and Research Data Management
  • These services provide high-speed connectivity, reusable software, and secure data-sharing tools, linking provincial and territorial networks to each other and to international NREN partners

AI safety, ethics and responsible innovation

Q12. How is the federal government ensuring Canada's AI safety leadership, and what concrete steps is it taking to foster collaboration and multidisciplinary research on AI risks?

  • In November 2024, the Government of Canada launched the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI). The Institute advances scientific understanding of the risks associated with the most advanced AI systems and develops measures to address those risks. Advanced AI systems can, for example, be intentionally used by bad actors to commit fraud, facilitate cyber-attacks, or more easily develop bioweapons
  • The Institute leverages the world-class Canadian AI research ecosystem and collaborates with partner Institutes around the world as a member of the International AI Safety Network (AISI Network). CAISI seeks to advance international collaboration by continuing to work with members of the AISI Network on joint model evaluation exercises and building a robust program of research that contributes to advancing knowledge in the field of AI safety
  • The Institute is housed at ISED, with a dedicated office responsible for leading policy coordination and international engagement whereby CAISI engages Canada's robust and world-leading AI research community, including the three National AI Institutes (NAII)
  • Research activities are being conducted through two streams; an investigator-led research stream with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), enabling Canadian and international experts to explore critical AI safety questions, and a government-directed projects stream with the National Research Council (NRC), which focuses on projects that address government priorities
  • CAISI is also establishing collaborative partnerships with major stakeholders in the AI industry, including a recently established Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Canadian AI company Cohere

Q13. What types of research and collaboration are supported by the Canadian AI Safety Institute?

  • The Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI) collaborates with stakeholders from the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society, ensuring a multidisciplinary approach to AI safety research. Support for research is grouped into two broad categories:
    • Applied and investigator-led research: Managed through a Contribution Agreement with the global Canada-based research organization, CIFAR, enabling Canadian and international experts to explore critical AI safety questions – such as synthetic content, AI alignment, and improving risk governance
    • Government-directed projects: Implemented through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Research Council (NRC), focusing on AI projects that address direct government priorities like cybersecurity, including international collaboration
    • CAISI leverages Canada's solid AI research ecosystem and world-leading talent base to advance the understanding of risks associated with advanced AI systems and mitigation measures

Q14. Why is the AI Safety Institute situated within the Government of Canada?

  • CAISI is housed at ISED, with a dedicated office responsible for leading policy coordination and international engagement
  • This governance structure is optimal to leverage Canada's solid AI research ecosystem, its world-leading talent base as well as the broader Canadian research and business community to advance the understanding of risks associated with advanced AI systems and collaborate with international partners. The structure also allows Canada to engage the international network of AISIs whereby CAISI collaborates with like-minded AISIs in the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Japan and South Korea
  • Given the significant risks posed by advanced AI systems, including the potential for malicious attacks and cybersecurity breaches, there are linkages between AI safety and public safety
  • CAISI office continues to act as a link between AI safety research and work ongoing within the national security community

Q15. How is Canada ensuring AI safety while maintaining international leadership in AI research?

  • Rapid advances in AI have underscored the promise associated with this transformative technology, but also that its power can surface questions about risk and safety
  • In November 2024, the Government of Canada created the Canadian AI Safety Institute to advance scientific understanding of the risks associated with the most advanced AI systems and provide tools to address those risks
  • The Canadian AI Safety Institute is a founding member of the International Network of AI safety Institutes, which includes counterpart organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom, European Union, France, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Australia, and Kenya
  • The Institute seeks to advance international collaboration by working with members of the network on joint model evaluation exercises and build a robust program of research that contributes to advancing knowledge in the field of AI safety
  • In July 2025, the Institute committed $1 million to a collaborative partnership with the United Kingdom's AI Security Institute to fund research on AI alignment. This partnership offers an opportunity to collaborate more closely with the United Kingdom and to cement Canada's global leadership in AI safety research
  • CAISI co-leads the Network's research track on the risks posed by AI-generated synthetic content with Australia, and published the Network's Synthetic Content Research Agenda in July 2025. CAISI is also participating in multilingual model evaluations led by Singapore and the United Kingdom, with contributions in Cantonese, Farsi, and Telugu; and jointly published model testing results and a risk assessment tool inventory at the Paris AI Action Summit (February 2025)

Q16. In what ways does the Voluntary Code of Conduct contribute to a responsible AI research ecosystem in Canada, and what evidence exists regarding its adoption?

  • Amid growing concern regarding the risks and impacts of generative AI, the Government of Canada launched a consultation on elements of a voluntary code of conduct for generative AI systems in summer 2023. Individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including innovators, researchers, and civil society stakeholders, provided feedback on what organizations need to do to build and deploy trustworthy products, and how to ensure that the Code remains evergreen
  • To that end, the Government developed the Voluntary Code of Conduct for Advanced Generative AI Systems, that sets out practices that firms can implement to mitigate risks associated with AI
  • Advancing work on safe and responsible use helps fuel trust, adoption, and helps confidently support AI where it can most fuel growth and opportunity
  • The Code is structured around six principles in-line with international norms on AI-systems governance and focus on outcomes needed to build trust with Canadians. Signatories to the Code publicly commit to its principles and measures, including commitments to promote the transparency, accountability, safety, and security of their AI systems
  • The Code currently has 46 signatories, from small- and medium-sized businesses, to world-leading AI research organizations and Fortune 500 multinationals
  • Originally developed for generative AI systems, the Code's principles and most of its measures are applicable to a range of AI systems and can be adopted by actors across Canada's AI ecosystem
  • In March 2025, the government released further guidance to help managers of AI systems implement the Code and develop responsible AI policies in their organizations

Q17. Given that the Voluntary Code of Conduct for AI is non-binding, what is the government doing to ensure responsible AI development and effective risk mitigation?

  • While AI presents significant opportunities for Canada's economic prosperity, it also raises new challenges and risks
  • Although Canada does not have federal horizontal AI legislation, many Canadian laws already apply to certain aspects of the development, operation, and use of AI, including the Personal Information and Protection of Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the Copyright Act, and the Criminal Code
  • Moreover, sectoral laws, such as the Food and Drugs Act for medical devices and the Motor Vehicle Safety Act for automotives, can address deployment risks caused by AI in specific sectors
  • The Voluntary Code of Conduct for the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems was designed as an interim measure until binding legislation is enacted. The code was meant to provide a bridge to regulations under the previously proposed AI and Data Act (AIDA) by providing a clear set of guidelines that firms can implement immediately
  • In 2024, the government launched the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI) to fund and undertake technical research on AI safety risks and mitigation measures, and to collaborate and share information with counterparts across the International Network of AI Safety Institutes. CAISI's work seeks to advance the safe deployment of AI and inform the government's policies
  • The government is now working toward an updated Canadian National AI Strategy and the security and safety of AI system, as well as ways to build trust in AI, are key considerations. The government is committed to ensure that policy and legislative frameworks are robust enough to address AI challenges and risks. However, different applications of AI and different risks call for different policy responses
  • To support Canada's research and innovation ecosystem, we need to ensure our regulatory frameworks enable innovation and balance risk mitigation, and there may be aspects of AIDA that could be carried forward as they develop an updated regulatory framework for AI

International leadership and governance

Q18. How is Canada advancing responsible AI innovation and governance internationally, and what steps are being taken to align Canadian AI research with global standards?

  • Canada plays a pivotal role in shaping global norms and organizing collective action around AI
  • Canada is a founding member of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), an international multi-stakeholder initiative at the OECD dedicated to advancing responsible AI. The GPAI was created as an international multi-stakeholder initiative following Canada and France's 2018 and 2019 G7 presidencies, with a mission of advancing the responsible development and use of AI through practical projects. Canada continues to play a leadership role in the GPAI's evolution
  • Canada has also been an active member of the OECD Working Party on AI Governance (AIGO) since its creation and currently holds a Vice-Chair role. Canada views GPAI/OECD as a critical forum for achieving consensus among likeminded nations on AI governance and international policy frameworks on AI. GPAI is currently considering membership expansion to enhance its value as an inclusive forum, of which Canada and other key partners have been supportive
  • Canada engages actively in multilateral fora related to AI such as the G20 and G7, as well as bilaterally, to advance collaboration and opportunities for the Canadian economy. We are actively pursuing cooperative work with key partners to fuel Canada's AI ecosystem. Canada's G7 Presidency is prioritizing broad adoption of responsible AI systems for shared prosperity
  • Canada signed the Global Digital Compact, a global framework for digital cooperation and AI governance, during the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024
  • Canada also adopted the Council of Europe Framework Convention on AI in February 2025, following consultation with provinces, Indigenous communities, and stakeholders. It is the first-ever international legally binding treaty aimed at ensuring that the use of AI systems is fully consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law

Protection and valorisation of AI discoveries

Q19. How is ISED ensuring that Canadian-led AI research and discoveries are protected and commercialized rather than lost to foreign acquisition or licences overseas?

  • Intellectual property and property rights are critical – innovation starts with an idea, and ISED can help identify and protect it. When you invent, you learn. And you create IP. Virtually every innovation has some IP, right from the moment you start bringing your idea to life
  • In the research ecosystem and AI, there may be different types of IP rights researchers or research institutions may want to protect. This can be done through copyright, trademark, patent and industrial design. Researchers may also have trade secrets AI algorithms that they want to protect. Trade secrets can include formulas, practices, designs, patterns, data compilations, devices or instruments
  • ISED's Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has services and can connect stakeholders with programs that can help. CIPO can provide information about IP to help researchers, researcher institutions and individuals develop their IP strategy. CIPO can provide information and services about IP – to help you build and implement IP strategies and can offer assistance and services to register, manage, and commercially exploit IP assets (e.g., through licences or trademarks). CIPO provides services to register, manage, and commercially exploit IP assets
  • Through the Canadian Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy, the Government of Canada is making sure that Canadian businesses, creators, entrepreneurs and innovators have access to the best possible IP resources through IP awareness, education and advice, strategic IP tools for growth and IP legislation. ISED's Canadian Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy and related programs (like the IP Assist program and ElevateIP) provide education, guidance, and tools to help businesses understand how to protect trade secrets and confidential business information
  • While IP protection is well-established, commercialization remains a challenge in Canada and in the context of AI. The Government continues to consider how Canadian concerns posed by generative AI, including those raised by cultural and technology industries, may be addressed in the copyright framework or through other means

Acronyms: AI and Canada's research ecosystem

A

  • AGI – Artificial General Intelligence
  • AIDA – Artificial Intelligence and Data Act
  • Amii – Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute
  • ANI – Artificial Narrow Intelligence
  • ARC – Advanced research computing

C

  • CAISI – Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute
  • CCAI Chair – Canada CIFAR AI
  • CFI – Canada Foundation for Innovation
  • CIFAR – CIFAR is the organization's formal name. It was formerly known as the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. The name "CIFAR" is not used as an acronym.
  • CPU – Central Processing Unit

D

  • DEWG – Digital Economy Working Group
  • DL – Deep Learning
  • DPI – Digital Public Infrastructure
  • DRAC – Digital Research Alliance of Canada

E

  • EURO HPC JU – European High-Peformance Computing Joint Undertaking

G

  • G20 – Group of Twenty
  • G7 – Group of Seven
  • GenAI – Generative AI
  • GIC – Global Innovation Clusters
  • GPAI – Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence
  • GPT – Generative Pre-trained Transformer
  • GPU – Graphics Processing Unit

H

  • HAIP – Hiroshima AI Process
  • HPC – High-performance computing

I

  • ICML – International Conference on Machine Learning
  • IP – Intellectual Property

L

  • LLM – Large Language Model
    • Popular LLMs include: GPT-4o (OpenAI), Claude 3 (Anthropic), Gemini 1.5 (Google), Mistral (open-source)

M

  • Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
  • ML – Machine Learning
  • MOU – Memorandum of Understanding
  • MT – Machine translation

N

  • NAII – National AI Institutes
  • NeurIPS – Neural Information Processing Systems
  • NGen – Next Generation Manufacturing Canada
  • NLP – Natural Language Processing
  • NRC – National Research Council

O

  • OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

P

  • PCAIS – Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy
  • PIC – Protein Industries Canada
  • PIPEDA – Protection of Electronic Documents Act

R

  • RAG – Retrieval-Augmented Generation

S

  • SCC – Standards Council of Canada
  • SCS – Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy
  • SIF – Strategic Innovation Fund
  • SL – Shallow learning
  • SRF – Strategic Response Fund, formerly the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF)

T

  • TDM – Text and data mining

V

  • VC – Venture Capital
  • VITAL project – Vital near real-time health data for Trials, Artificial Intelligence, and a Learning Health System

X

  • XAI – Explainable AI

FedDev Ontario: Questions and answers

Question: Besides the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative, what has FedDev Ontario done to support the development and adoption of AI in southern Ontario?

Key messages:

  • Artificial Intelligence is a strategic area of focus for FedDev Ontario. Southern Ontario is home to around half of Canada's AI firms
  • Recognizing the potential for AI to drive growth and productivity improvements for the region's SMEs, since 2015, FedDev Ontario has invested over $420 million in projects that have a component of AI adoption and/or commercialization
  • Through its continued delivery of the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative, as well as its delivery of its ongoing and temporary programs, the Agency will continue to prioritize projects that drive growth and productivity enhancement through AI tools and products

Question: You're also the Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. In your view, what potential does AI have to drive economic growth and productivity in southern Ontario?

Key messages:

  • Southern Ontario is the heartland of Canada's economy, and I'm proud to play a part in driving its potential as Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario
  • In the context of AI, southern Ontario is critical. The region is home to world leading researchers, expertise and institutions that are working on its efficacy and safety. The 'Godfather of AI', Geoffrey Hinton, is a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto and has been affiliated with UofT for over thirty years
  • Southern Ontario is also home to half of the AI firms in Canada that are developing innovative ways to use this transformational technology to drive productivity and growth
  • FedDev Ontario is investing to help these firms commercialize their AI-driven technologies and to help firms in other sectors adopt AI into their businesses to raise their productivity and become more globally competitive

Scenario Note for Minister Solomon's Appearance before the Standing Committee on Science and Research (SRSR) December 3, 2025 – 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Committee members

Liberal

Salma Zahid (Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON)

Chair of the Committee

Helena Jaczek (Markham—Stouffville, ON)

  

Jennifer McKelvie (Ajax, ON)

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure

Taleeb Noormohamed (Vancouver Granville, BC)

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation

Aslam Rana (Hamilton Centre, ON)

  

Conservative

Tony Baldinelli (Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON)

Vice-Chair of the Committee, CPC Shadow Minister for Tourism

Kelly DeRidder (Kitchener Centre, ON)

  

Vincent Neil Ho (Richmond Hill South, ON)

  

Jagsharan Singh Mahal (Edmonton Southeast, AB)

  

Bloc Québécois

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas (Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC)

Vice-Chair of the Committee, BQ

Details of the Appearance:

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research (SRSR) has invited the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, to appear before the committee on the topic of innovation and scientific research concerning artificial intelligence (AI). Associate DM Mark Schaan will accompany Minister Solomon at the appearance for the first hour, and Associate DM Mark Schaan and ADM Nipun Vats will appear for the second hour to continue answering questions.

This invitation adheres to a committee motion adopted on November 3, 2025, which invites the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation to appear for one meeting for no less than two hours, along with federal officials from ISED. Full text of the motion available here: Minutes – SRSR (45-1) - No. 13 – House of Commons of Canada.

Full motion:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3), the Standing Committee on Science and Research undertakes a study of at least four meetings on innovation and scientific research concerning artificial intelligence.

That the study aim to examine:

  • Recent advances in fundamental and applied research in the field of artificial intelligence
  • The needs and challenges of research centers, universities, and public institutes regarding funding, infrastructure, recruitment, and interdisciplinary collaboration
  • The role of the federal government in promoting a responsible artificial intelligence research ecosystem
  • The mechanisms for ensuring the diffusion, valorization, and protection of Canadian scientific discoveries in artificial intelligence

And considering the committee's mandate to study matters related to science and research, which includes AI technology, and that the committee invites:

  • The Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation to appear for one meeting for no less than two hours
  • Federal officials from the Department of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada
  • A range of AI industry representatives and experts
  • That the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House

Appearance logistics:

Minister Solomon and ISED officials are the only witnesses confirmed for December 3. This will be the third of at least four meetings on this study. Minister Solomon will begin with 5 minutes of opening remarks, followed by rounds of questioning.

Minister Solomon and ISED officials will appear as follows:

First hour:

  • Hon. Evan Solomon, P.C., M.P., Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation
  • Mark Schaan, Associate Deputy Minister

Second hour:

  • Mark Schaan, Associate Deputy Minister
  • Nipun Vats, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Research Sector

The question order at SRSR:

  • First round: 6 minutes to the CPC, LPC, and BQ, in that order.
  • Second (and subsequent rounds): 5 min to the CPC and LPC, 2.5 min to the BQ, and then 5 min to the CPC and the LPC.

Parliamentary environment:

SRSR meetings in the 45th Parliament have been collegial. MPs have generally asked focused questions on the subject matter of the meeting study. Overall, committee meetings have not been combative, and MPs have been respectful towards witnesses, including senior officials from federal government departments and agencies. No ministers have appeared at SRSR in this Parliament.

AI has been a topic of significant interest in the House of Commons in recent months. It has been touted by all political parties as an area of immense opportunity and potential for technological change. Opposition MPs from the CPC and BQ have raised concerns about AI replacing jobs, a need for stronger regulation, AI chatbots providing incorrect information, digital sovereignty, and ethical concerns about the power of machines to imitate human intelligence. The BQ have also raised concerns about AI jeopardizing Quebec cultural content and standardizing culture.

The Government is committed to advancing AI. Budget 2025 made the following investments:

  • $925.6 million over five years, starting in 2025-26, to support a large-scale sovereign public AI infrastructure that will boost AI compute availability and support access to sovereign AI compute capacity for public and private research. The investment will ensure Canada has the capacity needed to be globally competitive in a secure and sovereign environment. Of this amount, $800 million will be sourced from funds previously provisioned in the fiscal framework
  • Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation will engage with industry to identify new promising AI infrastructure projects and enter into Memoranda of Understanding with those projects
  • Budget 2025 also announces the government's intention to enable the Canada Infrastructure Bank to invest in AI infrastructure projects

Question period analysis

There have been a variety of questions on the topic of AI raised by opposition parties during Question Period. Opposition questions related to AI have focused on the power of AI to spread disinformation and misinformation, AI taking away jobs from youth and workers in service sectors, and safety concerns surrounding AI.

Related Order Paper Questions (OPQs):

There have been five OPQs in the 45th Parliament that directly relate to AI, and several additional OPQs that mention digital initiatives. OPQs on AI have focused on the Government's use of AI, the use of AI at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), and the use of AI in wildfire detection and monitoring.

FedDev Ontario: Key acronyms

ACOA – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

AI – Artificial Intelligence

BEP Ecosystem Fund – Black Entrepreneurship Program Ecosystem Fund

BSUP – Business Scale-up and Productivity

CA – Contribution Agreement

CanNor – Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

CED – Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

CEDD – Community Economic Development and Diversification

CFP – Community Futures Program

DIS – Defence Industrial Strategy

DND – Department of National Defence

EDI – Economic Development Initiative (for Official Language Minority Communities)

FedNor – Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

GDP – Gross Domestic Product

IP – Intellectual Property

Min. AIDI – Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation

PacifiCan – Pacific Economic Development Canada

PrairiesCan – Prairies Economic Development Canada

R&D – Research and Development

RAII – Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative

RDA – Regional Development Agency

RDII – Regional Defence Investment Initiative

REGI – Regional Economic Growth through Innovation

RHII – Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative

RIE – Regional Innovation Ecosystem

RQI – Regional Quantum Initiative

RTRI – Regional Tariff Response Initiative

S. ON – Southern Ontario

SME – Small and medium-sized enterprise

Ts&Cs – Terms and Conditions

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