Canada has taken a significant step to bolster its artificial intelligence (AI) sector by allocating $1.76 billion (2.4 billion Canadian dollars) from its federal budget.
This move aims to sustain the nation’s “competitive edge” in the rapidly evolving field of AI.
A suite of new initiatives has been announced, focusing on supporting AI-related startups, medium-sized enterprises, and research entities, all in an effort to “secure Canada’s AI advantage.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau highlighted the transformative potential of generative AI, emphasizing its capability to unlock considerable economic benefits for Canada, enhance productivity, and reduce the necessity for workers to engage in monotonous tasks.
“The rapid advance of generative AI today will unlock immense economic potential for Canada, significantly improving productivity and reducing the time workers have to spend on repetitive tasks,” Trudeau stated on April 7.
The funding package includes a $1.47 billion investment aimed at augmenting computing capabilities and other AI-related infrastructures via the new AI Compute Access Fund.
This initiative is designed to support the nation’s premier AI researchers and startups.
Furthermore, an additional $147 million will be allocated to AI startups within the agriculture, clean technology, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors.
Meanwhile, $73.5 million is set aside to aid small and medium-sized AI scale-up companies in enhancing productivity.
Trudeau also mentioned the positive impact AI has had in areas such as drug discovery, energy efficiency, and housing innovation, acknowledging the technology’s role in driving innovation, productivity, and economic growth.
Moreover, a portion of the fund is dedicated to addressing the workforce adjustments necessitated by the AI surge, with up to $36.8 million directed under Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program for the re-training and re-skilling of workers across diverse sectors.
The film and animation industries are identified as particularly vulnerable to the disruptions caused by generative AI, a concern highlighted by a report from CVL Economics.
To further ensure the safe development and deployment of AI technologies, $36.8 million will be utilized to establish a Canadian AI Safety Institute.
Highlighting its pioneering role in AI governance, Canada introduced the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy in 2017, marking its ambition to lead in AI adoption through focused research and commercialization efforts.
The country’s AI market is valued at approximately $7.4 billion, contrasting with the United States’ $106 billion market.
Efforts to enhance Canada’s AI landscape include engaging AI firms from the European Union and supporting leading startups like Tenstorrent, which recently partnered with Samsung to advance AI chiplet technology, following a significant funding round.
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