Ottawa’s ‘refreshed’ AI strategy delayed to next year, minister says
Global News
Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon told a House of Commons committee the updated strategy will come next year, after saying in the fall it would come this year.
Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said Wednesday that an updated federal AI strategy is set to be released in 2026, a delay that he did not explain when testifying to parliamentarians.
In September, Solomon told an AI conference in Montreal that the “refreshed” strategy will be tabled later this year, “almost two years ahead of schedule.”
He told the House of Commons science and research committee in his opening statement that the strategy remains ahead of schedule, but instead said it will come “in the new year.”
Solomon highlighted several investments the government has made in the past year in AI research and development, and to support Canada-based data centres and other infrastructure through a “sovereign compute strategy.”
“We are investing in every aspect of this ecosystem, and therefore in the future of our economy, especially science and research,” he said.
The Liberal government in September announced a new 28-member AI “task force” to consult with the industry and other Canadian sectors on changes to the federal strategy, giving it until the end of October to do so, which Solomon called a “focused sprint.”
He said “more than 11,300 Canadians shared ideas through our public portal” that will complement the task force’s findings, “the largest digital engagement in our department’s history,” along with dozens of stakeholder submissions.
The committee’s vice-chair, Bloc Quebecois MP Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, raised concerns that allowing comments to be submitted anonymously risked allowing foreign actors to influence the strategy.
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