Canada to renew AI strategy

In its proposed Budget 2021: A recovery plan for jobs, growth, and resilience, the government of Canada has outlined plans to renew the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, by allocating CAD$443.8 million over ten years in support of the strategy. The funds are planned to be distributed as follows: (a) CAD185 million over five years to support the commercialisation of artificial intelligence (AI) innovations and research; (b) CAD$162.2 million over ten years to help retain and attract top academic talent; (c) CAD$48 million over five years for the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research to renew and enhance its research, training, and knowledge mobilisation programmes; (d) CAD$40 million over five years to provide dedicated computing capacity for researchers at the national AI institutes in Edmonton, Toronto, and Montreal; and (e) CAD$8.6 million over five years to advance the development and adoption of AI standards.