Pan-Canadian AI Strategy: Doubling Down on Canada's AI Strengths

Next stage of the strategy confirms Canada’s place as a destination for research, talent and commercialization

The Government of Canada has announced the next phase in the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, reaffirming its commitment to Canada’s global leadership in the business and science of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The strategy, which was first reported in Budget 2021, is backed by an investment of more than $443 million across the country, up from $125 million in 2017.

Announced Wednesday by the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, this next stage in the world’s first national AI strategy will continue to affirm Canada’s place as a destination for AI research while increasing focus on industry engagement and business adoption of AI.

Support for the Strategy's Renewal

“Artificial intelligence is an incredible tool and it is critical that we harness its power to benefit our people and our economy. This second phase of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy is a collaborative effort that will bring together the knowledge and expertise necessary to solidify Canada as a global leader in automation and machine learning,” says Minister Champagne.

CEO Cam Linke praised the announcement as a key step in accelerating Canada’s research, business and innovation systems to drive economic and social impact across the country.

“We’re thrilled to work alongside our colleagues at CIFAR, Mila and the Vector Institute to seize the momentum we’ve built over the last five years,” says Linke. “Across the country, we’ve already seen how transformational an investment like this can be in establishing Canada as a global player in AI. The renewal of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy demonstrates Canada’s continued commitment to advancing world-changing research and leveraging our expertise to accelerate business adoption of AI to the benefit of all.”

In a recent post on CIFAR.ca, Elissa Strome, Executive Director of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, similarly praised the strategy’s renewal. “CIFAR is pleased to continue to build upon the strong foundation of the first five years of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, alongside our partners at Amii, Mila and the Vector Institute. We’re excited about this next phase as we continue to build Canada’s reputation as a global leader in research excellence and responsible AI to ensure that Canadian-led AI delivers positive social benefit and better economic opportunities for all.”

This newest investment builds upon 20 years of public support for Amii and AI in Alberta, including the $73 million recently committed by the Government of Alberta toward the province’s Technology and Innovation Strategy.

Reinvesting in Research

One of the major pillars of the first phase of the strategy, the Canada CIFAR AI Chairs program will continue to play a significant role in attracting, retaining and developing academic research talent in Canada. The next phase will build on the 100 researchers who have already been awarded chairs through the strategy, providing $160 million to CIFAR for the program.

Currently, Amii is home to 31 Canada CIFAR AI Chairs across diverse research areas, including computational creativity, AI for health, reinforcement learning, robotics and game theory, among others. Under the next phase of the strategy, Amii will continue to grow Canada’s research capacity by recruiting world leaders and rising stars from various disciplines and backgrounds.

An additional $40 million has also been allocated to provide dedicated computing capacity for AI researchers across Canada, an essential step in ensuring a strong and productive research environment.

Accelerating AI Commercialization

Phase two of the strategy also provides $60 million to Canada’s AI institutes to help translate research into commercial applications and grow the capacity of businesses to adopt AI and machine learning. In response to the funding, Amii has launched a number of products over the past year aimed at accelerating and de-risking the AI adoption process across sectors, including areas such as health, biological sciences, agriculture and energy.

The addition of commercialization-focused funding enables Amii to further scale industry-engaged work that builds the internal AI capabilities of partners in business, government, startups and non-profit. Through this work, Amii will continue to move organizations along the AI adoption spectrum through technical and business training, providing expert advice and guidance on AI implementation, supporting a world-class talent pipeline that connects top individuals with top companies and helping to deploy AI talent in AI-focused organizations.

Whether you’re an organization or an individual looking to become part of Canada’s AI excellence, Amii can help you advance your AI goals.

Reach out to our Investment & Partnerships team today.