ISED reports on AI task force insights

    ISED reports on AI task force insights
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    More than 11,000 Canadians from across the country and 28 AI Strategy Task Force members shared their ideas to help shape the next chapter of Canada’s AI leadership. We heard from individuals and organizations alike, with representation across several industries and sectors, including:

    • IT/technology/cybersecurity (35%)
    • professional/scientific/technical services (20%)
    • arts/entertainment/recreation (15%)
    • small and medium-sized enterprises (12%)
    • academia (12%)
    • health care (10%) 
    Read the report

    Key themes

    The report includes analysis of both the public consultation and the 32 reports submitted by the 28 Task Force members, with some members contributing more than one report. Key themes from the consultation include:

    1. Research and talent

    • Strengthen Canada’s AI talent pipeline through competitive incentives and immigration support
    • Build sovereign compute and data infrastructure
    • Prioritize ethical, sustainable, human‑centred AI aligned with Canadian strengths
    • Protect Canadian intellectual property (IP) and support mission‑driven research

    2. Industry and government adoption

    • Shift from pilots to real, productivity‑focused AI deployment
    • Ensure AI augments—does not replace—workers
    • Establish clear regulations and sector‑specific standards
    • Promote responsible AI adoption through incentives and public education

    3. Commercialization

    • Retain Canadian control over IP, data and economic value
    • Support Canadian firms through funding, tax incentives and procurement
    • Modernize regulations to prevent foreign dominance and protect creators
    • Align commercialization with national priorities and ethical standards

    4. Scaling and investment

    • Improve access to capital, procurement opportunities and partnerships
    • Build a domestic market for Canadian AI solutions
    • Pursue sustainable, sovereignty‑focused growth over hype-driven scaling
    • Consider strategic tools like a sovereign wealth fund

    5. Safe AI and public trust

    • Require transparency, strong oversight and risk‑based certification
    • Address key risks: bias, privacy, job loss and environmental impacts
    • Enforce compliance and expand public AI literacy

    6. Education and skills

    • Combine nationwide AI literacy with advanced training for specialists
    • Integrate AI into education systems and lifelong learning
    • Emphasize ethics, critical thinking and interdisciplinary skills

    7. Infrastructure

    • Close compute, data and connectivity gaps, especially in rural areas
    • Develop sovereign, sustainable AI infrastructure through partnerships
    • Create a national infrastructure roadmap

    8. Security

    • Strengthen AI-enabled cybersecurity and national defence
    • Protect Canadian data, supply chains and critical systems
    • Implement strict liability and human‑in‑the‑loop safeguards

    Next steps

    After carefully considering the feedback we received from the consultation, we will soon be launching a renewed AI strategy.

    About the consultation

    In October 2025, we ran a 30-day national consultation to shape a renewed AI strategy that will strengthen our competitive edge and protect our digital sovereignty. We invited founders, researchers, workers, creators, students, public servants and community voices to share their ideas and feedback.

    We asked Canadians for their thoughts on how we can:

    • accelerate the safe adoption of AI across the economy and public services
    • scale up Canadian AI champions and attract investment
    • strengthen our secure, sovereign digital infrastructure, including compute, data and cloud services
    • build public trust, support new skills and ensure safety