The Liberal government is setting aside $2.4 billion in the upcoming budget to build capacity in artificial intelligence, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Sunday.
The bulk of that 91裸聊视频� $2 billion 91裸聊视频� is going into a fund that will aim to provide access to computing capabilities and technical infrastructure.
Trudeau made the announcement at a Montreal AI firm as part of a pre-budget tour.
He said the government will begin consulting with industry soon on a new AI Compute Access Fund and an accompanying strategy to grow the sector in Canada.
91裸聊视频淲e want to help companies adopt AI in a way that will have positive impacts for everyone,91裸聊视频� Trudeau said, adding that $200 million will go toward boosting the adoption of AI in sectors like agriculture, health care and clean technology.
The government plans to launch a $50-million AI safety institute to protect against what it calls 91裸聊视频渁dvanced or nefarious AI systems,91裸聊视频� and another $5.1 million will go toward an Office of the AI and Data Commissioner to enforce the proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act.
Bill C-27 is the first federal legislation specifically aimed at artificial intelligence. It would update privacy laws and introduce new obligations for 91裸聊视频渉igh-impact91裸聊视频� systems.
The proposed law has been studied at committee since September 2023.
Industry Minister Fran莽ois-Philippe Champagne said Canada is a world leader in AI.
91裸聊视频淟et91裸聊视频檚 stop asking what AI will do to us, and why don91裸聊视频檛 we start asking what we want AI to do for us,91裸聊视频� he said.
Yoshua Bengio, scientific director of the Mila Quebec AI Institute, said it91裸聊视频檚 important to look forward as AI will be transformative in the coming years 91裸聊视频� creating important economic opportunities but with certain risks attached.
Bengio welcomed the creation of the safety institute in particular, that will allow academics to focus on the question of safety.
91裸聊视频淭here are some really important scientific questions that remain open and that we absolutely need to figure out how do we build future AI systems that may be even surpassing human intelligence that are also safe, that will not turn against humans?91裸聊视频� Bengio said.
91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 know how to do that, so it91裸聊视频檚 urgent to invest in this.91裸聊视频�
The Liberals have been setting up their April 16 budget with a series of campaign-style stops around the country.
Last week91裸聊视频檚 announcements were focused on housing, including money to help build apartments and affordable units. Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser also said a full housing plan will be released ahead of budget day.
The federal Conservatives, meanwhile, have sent a letter to Trudeau outlining their demands for the fiscal plan.
Leader Pierre Poilievre91裸聊视频檚 letter to Trudeau says the prime minister91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渙ut-of-control inflationary spending91裸聊视频� has caused interest rates to balloon and 91裸聊视频減unishing taxes have pushed people over the edge.91裸聊视频�
He called on the government to end the price on carbon, to require cities to permit 15 per cent more home building each year as a condition for receiving federal infrastructure money, and to cap its spending, committing to find equivalent savings.
Poilievre said if those conditions are met, Conservatives will agree to support the budget.
Trudeau fired back on Sunday.
91裸聊视频淭he job of an opposition leader is to criticize the government, we get that. But it91裸聊视频檚 not to fearmonger,91裸聊视频� he said.
Trudeau also insisted Liberal policies like the price on carbon and funding to accelerate home construction do not drive inflation, adding experts and economists are 91裸聊视频渁lmost unanimous91裸聊视频� in saying so.
91裸聊视频淥nce again, Pierre Poilievre is wrong, is not listening to experts and economists,91裸聊视频� he said.
The minority government has a supply-and-confidence deal with the New Democrats that will ensure their support on budgets and other fiscal measures so long as the Liberals advance key NDP priorities, including dental care and pharmacare.
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