Federal government will invest $2.4 billion to accelerate Canada’s transition artificial intelligence (IA), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Sunday.
The investment will be spread across a number of measures designed to foster job growth in the AI and technology sector and boost business productivity.
“This announcement is a major investment in our future, in the future of workers, to ensure that every industry and every generation has the tools needed to succeed and thrive in tomorrow’s economy,” Trudeau said in a press release. Sunday.
The majority of funds, $2 billion, will be used to increase access to IT and technology infrastructure. Another $200 million is being invested in AI startups to accelerate the technology in “critical sectors” such as healthcare, agriculture and manufacturing, the release said.
Additional funds will be dedicated to helping small and medium-sized businesses integrate AI, and another $50 million will be committed to help train workers whose jobs could be disrupted by the technology.
“AI will help us build a fairer future with more jobs, more growth and even more housing. This is what we focus on. Equity for every generation,” Trudeau said at a press conference in Montreal on Sunday.
This announcement follows a recent Léger survey which found that the use of AI is on the rise in Canada despite “deep-rooted fears.”
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The survey, released in February, found that 30 per cent of Canadians use AI tools, up about 25 per cent from more than a year ago.
Trudeau emphasized Sunday that innovation and technology are among the highest-paying industries in the country. Demand for recruiting Canadians with AI skills has increased also skyrocketed over the past year, as the global race to leverage technology intensifies.
AI in the recent round of federal budget announcements
The new investment is part of Ottawa’s 2024 budget, which is due to be tabled by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on April 16. The commitment revealed Sunday is the latest of multiple pre-budget announcements made in recent weeks.
In late March, Trudeau announced new measures that he said will help protect Canadian renters and give them a better chance of breaking into the sector. accommodation walk.
Trudeau said Sunday that in addition to new investments in AI, the federal government is “building more housing faster, ensuring every child has the food they need, investing in health care, making more affordable living and creates good jobs to ensure every generation can move forward.” .”
The federal government’s press release on Sunday said it has committed more than $2 billion since 2016 to support the growth of Canada’s AI and digital infrastructure sector. In 2017, Canada established the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, making it the first country to establish a national artificial intelligence strategy.
In addition to benefiting from the growth of the digital economy, the press release indicates that the strategy has helped “Canada maintain its position as a global leader in the field of AI (and help) businesses to be more competitive” .
“In order to maintain Canada’s competitive advantage and ensure good-paying jobs and job security for generations of young Canadians, we must raise the bar,” said Sunday’s press release.
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