Prime Minister Carney Launches “AI for All”: Canada’s New National AI Strategy
June 4, 2026 – Toronto, Ontario
Prime Minister Mark Carney today unveiled “AI for All,” Canada’s new national artificial intelligence strategy aimed at positioning the country as a global leader in responsible AI adoption while ensuring the technology benefits all Canadians.
Key Announcements
Economic Targets:
- $200 billion in additional economic growth over the next 5 years
- 250,000 new AI-related jobs to be created
- Increase AI adoption from current ~12% to 60% by 2034
- 90,000 AI-related jobs and work placements for young Canadians
Three Guiding Principles:
1. Building Trust
- Modernize legislative frameworks for the digital age
- Strengthen protections against deepfakes and surveillance pricing
- Expand capabilities of the Canadian AI Safety Institute
- Introduce online safety regime for social media and chatbot users
2. Creating Opportunity
- National AI Literacy Initiative: Entry-level training for all Canadians
- 1 million entry-level post-secondary students to receive AI literacy
- 3,000+ educators trained with AI learning kits
- Free, accessible AI learning with practical courses
- Trusted AI agents for every post-secondary student
- AI Missions Program: Flagship health mission to accelerate AI in diagnostics and patient care
3. Reinforcing Sovereignty
- Build sovereign Canadian AI infrastructure: compute, cloud, connectivity, data, and talent
- World-leading public AI supercomputer with focus on sustainable, clean energy
- Support Canadian AI champions through government procurement as anchor customer
- Expand AI talent base through CIFAR AI Chairs program and Global Talent Stream
Strategic Context
While Canada has world-class AI talent and one of the fastest-growing digital sectors in the G7, the country is among the slowest to adopt AI at scale. The global AI market is projected to reach U.S.$4.8 trillion by 2033, creating what the government calls a “limited but real opportunity” for Canada.
International Partnerships
Canada has established 12 international AI partnerships, including agreements with:
- Australia, European Union, Finland, Germany, India
- Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden
- United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom
These partnerships form the foundation of the newly created Sovereign Technology Alliance, aimed at attracting foreign investment and opening new markets for Canadian firms.
Consultation Process
The strategy is based on extensive national consultations involving:
- 11,000+ submissions from workers, entrepreneurs, researchers, students, and community leaders
- 28-member AI Strategy Task Force with diverse voices from industry, academia, unions, and communities
Quote from Prime Minister Carney
“AI is here. The question is whether it will improve the lives of all Canadians or benefit only a few. AI can shorten our emergency room wait times and make a small business more competitive, if it is governed by Canadian values with a clear goal of improving the lives of all Canadians. That’s why we need an ambitious new strategy: AI for All.”
Next Steps
The AI for All Strategy will be implemented over the next five years through new legislation, investments, and programs designed to ensure AI adoption is responsible, inclusive, and aligned with Canadian values.