Prime Minister Mark Carney established the National Council on Artificial Intelligence on October 2, 2026. The advisory body consists of 13 members representing academia, industry, and the public sector. Its primary objective is to provide strategic guidance for the national 'AI for All' strategy, which began development in mid-2026.
The council includes notable figures such as Yoshua Bengio, who serves as scientific director at LawZero and Mila, Mila CEO Valérie Pisano, and Cloudflare co-founder Michelle Zatlyn. The group functions strictly in an advisory capacity, focusing on policy and strategic direction rather than direct legislative or financial authority.
The formation of this council follows a federal investment of CAD 150 million into LawZero. This funding is specifically allocated for the development of 'safe-by-design' artificial intelligence systems. The government aims to integrate safety protocols into the infrastructure of AI technologies from the initial development phase.
The council’s mandate emphasizes the protection of democratic processes, framing AI governance as both a civic and economic priority. Future developments to monitor include the council's initial policy recommendations, potential investments in sovereign infrastructure, and the identification of companies designated as national champions.
