The Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Sunday that the Liberal government plans to allocate $2.4 billion in its upcoming budget to build capabilities in the field of artificial intelligence.
Most of this funding – $2 billion – will be earmarked for a fund aimed at providing access to computing capabilities and technological infrastructure.
Trudeau made the announcement in Montreal as part of a pre-budget tour.
He stated that the federal government will soon begin consultations with the industry regarding the new Smart Computing Access Fund and an accompanying strategy to expand the sector in Canada.
Trudeau said, “We want to help companies adopt artificial intelligence in a way that will have positive impacts for everyone,” adding that $200 million will go towards enhancing the adoption of artificial intelligence in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and clean technology.
The government plans to launch an Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute at a cost of $50 million to protect against what it calls “advanced or malicious AI systems”, with another $5.1 million going to the Office of the AI Commissioner and Data to enforce proposed AI and data laws.
Bill C-27 is the first federal legislation specifically targeting artificial intelligence. It will update privacy laws and introduce new commitments for high-impact systems.
The proposed law has been under committee consideration since September 2023.
Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, stated that Canada is a global leader in the field of artificial intelligence:
“Let’s stop asking what artificial intelligence will do to us, and start asking what we want artificial intelligence to do for us,” he said.
The Liberals revealed their budget on April 16 through a series of stops in a campaign-style promotion across the country.
Last week’s announcements focused on the housing sector, including financial assistance for building affordable apartments and housing units. Housing Minister Sean Fraser confirmed that a complete housing plan will be unveiled before budget day.
Meanwhile, the governing federal party sent a message to Trudeau outlining their demands for the financial plan.
Leader Pierre Poilievre’s message to Trudeau states that “the Prime Minister’s excessive spending has led to rising interest rates and harsh taxes pushing people to the brink.”
The government called for the carbon price to be scrapped and asked cities to allow a 15% increase in home building each year as a condition for receiving federal funding for infrastructure, setting an upper limit on their spending while committing to finding equivalent savings.
Poilievre stated that if these requirements are met, the Conservatives will support the budget.
Trudeau’s response was firm on Sunday: “The opposition leader’s job is to criticize the government, we understand that. But it is not about spreading fear.”
Trudeau also insisted that Liberal policies such as carbon pricing and funding for accelerated housing construction do not cause inflation, pointing out that experts and economists are “almost unanimous” on this matter.
He said, “Once again, Pierre Poilievre is wrong, not listening to experts and economists.”
The minority government has a supply and confidence agreement with the New Democrats, who will support budgets and other financial measures as long as the Liberals advance the priorities of the New Democrats, including dental care and pharmacare.
