In addition to this, $200 million will be allocated to promote the adoption of AI in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and clean technology. The announcement is part of a series of pre-budget announcements, with the Liberals preparing for their April 16 budget. The government will soon begin consultations with the industry on a new AI Compute Access Fund and an accompanying strategy to expand the sector in Canada.
Key takeaways:
- The Canadian federal government is committing $2.4 billion to the artificial intelligence sector to boost job growth and international competitiveness, according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
- The majority of the funding, $2 billion, will go into a fund aimed at providing access to computing capabilities and technical infrastructure.
- The government also plans to launch a $50-million AI safety institute to protect against advanced or nefarious AI systems, and $5.1 million will go toward an office of the AI and Data Commissioner to enforce the proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act.
- The announcement is part of a series of pre-budget announcements by the Liberals, with previous ones focused on housing. The federal Conservatives have criticized the government's spending, linking it to inflation and high taxes.