Mark Carney Launches National Council on Artificial Intelligence to Guide Canada’s AI Strategy

By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi & Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
5 October 2026

Prime Minister Mark Carney has launched a new National Council on Artificial Intelligence to provide independent expert advice as Canada works to expand the use of artificial intelligence, strengthen its domestic technology sector and establish greater control over critical AI infrastructure.

The new council, announced by Carney on October 2, brings together 13 members from Canada’s artificial intelligence, technology, investment, academic, financial and public sectors.

The federal government says the council will advise on the evolution of its national AI for All strategy, including how Canada can accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence, help Canadian technology companies grow, develop sovereign AI infrastructure and manage the risks associated with rapidly advancing technology.

The initiative comes as governments around the world compete to develop AI capabilities while addressing concerns over privacy, cybersecurity, employment, misinformation, safety and the growing concentration of technological power among a relatively small number of companies.

A New Advisory Body for Canada’s AI Strategy

The National Council on Artificial Intelligence is intended to serve as an expert advisory body rather than a new government department.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the council will provide independent, practical and timely advice on Canada’s AI transformation.

Its work will cover several areas, including economic competitiveness, AI adoption, government modernization, research, talent development and sovereign computing infrastructure.

The council will be supported by a small team within the Privy Council Office, while federal ministers and departments will continue to be responsible for making policy decisions and implementing government programs.

That means the council will not itself determine Canada’s AI policy. Instead, its recommendations are expected to inform decisions made by the government.

Who Is On the Council?

Carney has appointed a group that includes some of Canada’s most prominent AI researchers and technology leaders.

The members are:

• Ajay Agrawal, an economist and AI researcher associated with the University of Toronto and the Creative Destruction Lab;
• Yoshua Bengio, one of Canada’s best-known artificial intelligence researchers;
• Sanja Fidler, an AI researcher and technology executive;
• John Graham, president and chief executive of CPP Investments;
• Gillian Hadfield, a professor specializing in AI governance and law;
• Jordan Jacobs, a technology investor and AI entrepreneur;
• Eric Lamarre, a technology and business adviser;
• Valérie Pisano, president and CEO of Mila;
• Senator Thomas Pitfield;
• Jody Thomas, former national security and intelligence adviser;
• Louis Vachon, former president and CEO of National Bank of Canada;
• Michelle Zatlyn, co-founder and chief operating officer of Cloudflare; and
• Patrick Pichette, former Google chief financial officer, serving as an ex-officio member.

The composition gives the council expertise across research, business, investment, national security, governance and technology.

Three Main Objectives

The government says Canada’s AI strategy is built around three broad objectives.

The first is building trust in artificial intelligence.

The second is expanding opportunities for Canadians, including workers, businesses and researchers.

The third is strengthening Canada’s sovereign control over critical AI capabilities.

The government argues that Canada already has significant AI research expertise but needs to translate that expertise into companies, products, infrastructure and economic opportunities that remain connected to Canada.

Carney said countries that can develop, adopt and govern AI according to their own priorities will have an advantage as the technology becomes increasingly important to national economies.

Canada Wants More Domestic AI Companies

One of the government’s concerns is that Canadian researchers and technology companies could create valuable AI technologies but ultimately move their businesses or intellectual property outside the country.

The new council is therefore expected to advise on how Canada can create stronger domestic AI companies capable of scaling internationally.

The government refers to this as fostering “national champions” in artificial intelligence.

The objective is not simply to produce more AI research.

Ottawa wants research to translate into commercial products, growing businesses, employment and greater economic capacity within Canada.

The government has also linked AI development to broader efforts to diversify Canada’s economy and reduce dependence on foreign technology providers.

AI for All Strategy

The council’s work will build on the federal government’s AI for All strategy, which was launched earlier this year.

The strategy is designed to promote responsible AI adoption across Canada’s economy while ensuring that the benefits of the technology are more broadly distributed.

According to the government, the strategy aims to increase AI adoption among Canadian businesses from just over 12 per cent to 60 per cent by 2034.

Ottawa has also set a target of generating approximately $200 billion in additional economic growth and creating 250,000 new AI-related jobs over five years.

These figures are government targets rather than guaranteed outcomes, and their achievement will depend on how successfully businesses, workers and public institutions adopt and develop the technology.

Building Sovereign AI Infrastructure

Another major issue for the council will be Canada’s computing infrastructure.

Modern artificial intelligence systems require significant computing capacity, including specialized chips, data centres, cloud infrastructure and high-speed networks.

The federal government wants Canada to have greater domestic capacity in these areas.

The concept of AI sovereignty does not necessarily mean that Canada must manufacture every component of an AI system domestically.

Instead, it reflects the government’s goal of ensuring that Canada has sufficient control over critical capabilities and infrastructure so that the country is not completely dependent on foreign providers.

This could become increasingly important as AI becomes integrated into government services, healthcare, defence, financial services and other strategically important sectors.

Artificial Intelligence and Government Services

Carney’s government is also attempting to use AI and other digital technologies to change how Canadians interact with the federal government.

In September, the Prime Minister announced Digital Transformation Canada, a new federal organization tasked with improving how Ottawa develops, purchases and uses technology.

The government says the organization will use digital tools and AI to reduce duplication, improve efficiency and make federal services faster and more reliable.

It will also use government purchasing power to help Canadian digital and AI companies test and commercialize their technologies.

This approach connects the government’s AI strategy with its procurement policy.

Rather than simply providing grants to technology companies, Ottawa wants the federal government itself to become an important customer for Canadian technology firms.

The government says this could give Canadian companies opportunities to develop products, demonstrate that they work and eventually compete in international markets.

AI Safety and Democracy

The council will also advise on the risks associated with artificial intelligence.

The government specifically identified AI safety, governance and oversight as areas of expertise represented on the council.

It also wants advice on protecting Canadian democracy as AI becomes more powerful.

That includes concerns about manipulated information, deepfakes, automated influence campaigns and other technologies that could affect public trust.

The challenge for policymakers is to address those risks without unnecessarily restricting legitimate innovation and freedom of expression.

The council’s membership includes experts in AI governance and national security, which the government says will help it consider these issues from multiple perspectives.

AI and the Canadian Workforce

Artificial intelligence is also expected to have a major effect on employment.

Some businesses are adopting AI to automate repetitive tasks, analyze information and improve productivity.

At the same time, workers and labour organizations have raised questions about job displacement, changing skill requirements and whether workers will receive adequate training.

The federal AI strategy therefore places emphasis on helping Canadians develop the skills needed to work alongside increasingly capable AI systems.

The government says the benefits of AI should extend beyond technology companies and highly specialized researchers to workers and businesses across the country.

Canada’s Existing AI Advantage

Canada already has an established reputation in artificial intelligence research.

Researchers such as Yoshua Bengio have played major roles in the development of modern AI, while institutions including Mila and the Vector Institute have helped establish Canada as an important centre for AI research.

The challenge for Ottawa is turning that research advantage into sustained economic capacity.

Having world-class researchers does not automatically guarantee that companies created from that research will remain in Canada or become global leaders.

The federal government’s strategy is therefore increasingly focused on commercialization, investment, infrastructure and adoption.

The new council is expected to advise on how those pieces can be connected.

Private Sector Expertise in Government

The council’s membership also reflects the government’s effort to bring more private-sector expertise into its technology strategy.

Technology executives and investors can provide perspectives on issues such as commercialization, financing, product development and global competition.

Public officials and policy experts, meanwhile, can focus on regulation, national security and government implementation.

The government says bringing those perspectives together can help Ottawa make more informed decisions as AI technology develops faster than traditional policymaking processes.

Canada Faces International Competition

Canada is not developing its AI strategy in isolation.

The United States, European Union, China, the United Kingdom and other countries are investing heavily in artificial intelligence research, infrastructure and commercial applications.

American technology companies currently dominate many areas of the global AI industry.

That creates both an opportunity and a challenge for Canada.

Canada can benefit from access to international technology and investment, but Ottawa also wants to ensure that Canadian companies and institutions retain meaningful control over strategically important AI capabilities.

The concept of sovereignty has therefore become an increasingly important part of Canada’s technology policy.

What the Council Will Do Next

The new council will provide advice to the federal government as Ottawa continues implementing its AI for All strategy.

Its recommendations could influence policies involving AI adoption by businesses, government technology procurement, research funding, infrastructure, workforce development, AI safety and commercialization.

However, the council itself does not have authority to implement policies.

The Prime Minister’s Office has emphasized that responsible ministers and federal departments will remain accountable for government decisions and implementation.

That distinction will be important as the strategy develops.

A Broader Economic Strategy

The creation of the AI council is part of a broader effort by the Carney government to strengthen Canada’s economic resilience.

Ottawa has been emphasizing domestic production, technology, infrastructure, energy, defence and trade diversification as Canada responds to a changing global economy.

AI increasingly cuts across all of those areas.

It can affect manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, finance, defence and government services.

As a result, the government’s approach treats artificial intelligence not simply as a technology-sector issue but as an economic and national-security issue.

What the New Council Could Mean for Canadians

For ordinary Canadians, the effects of the council’s work are likely to emerge gradually.

If the government’s strategy succeeds, Canadians could see greater use of AI in public services, more domestic AI companies, new employment opportunities and increased investment in computing infrastructure.

There are also potential challenges.

Greater use of AI will require stronger safeguards around privacy, cybersecurity, misinformation and automated decision-making.

The government will also have to address questions about how workers affected by automation can adapt and whether the economic benefits of AI are distributed broadly.

The council has therefore been established at a time when Canada is trying to balance two objectives: moving quickly enough to compete in artificial intelligence while building safeguards strong enough to protect Canadians.

For Carney’s government, the central challenge will be turning Canada’s longstanding strength in AI research into companies, infrastructure and public services that generate tangible benefits inside the country.

The new National Council on Artificial Intelligence will now have a role in advising Ottawa on how to pursue that goal.

Whether the council’s recommendations translate into measurable changes will ultimately depend on the policies and investments adopted by the federal government.