Canada last month named its first-ever AI minister, joining a list of countries that already includes the United Arab Emirates, France, and Taiwan.
For the role, newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney tapped Evan Solomon, a former TV host who has worked for the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the private network CTV. Previously, the AI domain fell largely under the industry portfolio. Canada is a leader in the field. In 2017, it became the first country to release a national AI strategy. By 2020, it ranked fourth out of 54 countries in the Global AI Index based on level of AI implementation, innovation, and investment—although it has since dropped to eighth place.
Despite its strength in AI research, however, Canada has been slow to scale the technology commercially.
“This is a positive and important first step,” says Adegboyega Ojo, Canada research chair in Governance and Artificial Intelligence at Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration. “The creation of the Ministry of AI and Digital Innovation signals the new government’s intention to prioritize AI development as part of its broader ambition to build an economy of the future.”
Recent announcements by Canadian telecom giants Telus and Bell of investments in AI infrastructure are also encouraging, Ojo adds, as they should attract private sector investment and strengthen the country’s AI ecosystem.
Still, the challenge ahead could exceed the scope of the current blueprint, Ojo cautions: “The new minister may need to take on a broader coordination role beyond the government’s plans to expand AI infrastructure, invest in training, promote adoption and commercialization, and streamline AI procurement through the AI procurement through the [proposed] Office of Digital Transformation.” That, Ojo argues, will include working closely with counterparts in other ministries and departments as well as across provincial and territorial governments to ensure that AI is deployed strategically in areas where it can generate the greatest economic value, promote social inclusion, and support environmental sustainability. “To address the need for coordination effectively, the government will need to set bold and measurable goals that align AI deployment with national priorities,” he says. “This is what AI-driven transformation is really about.”
