Industry and Technology

The committee met with the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon, to discuss the government’s newly launched “AI for all” strategy. The minister outlined the strategy’s three pillars: trust, opportunity, and sovereign control. He highlighted two recently tabled bills—the safe social media act and the protecting privacy and consumer data act—as key to building trust by protecting children, privacy, and personal information, and giving Canadians a right to delete deepfakes. He also detailed investments in AI adoption, job creation for young Canadians, and sovereign infrastructure.

Conservative members pressed the minister on the strategy’s lack of a dedicated cybersecurity pillar, arguing that AI-enabled cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure are a grave threat. The minister responded that cybersecurity is addressed through the defence industrial strategy, the Canadian AI safety institute, and investments in sovereign AI infrastructure. He also faced questions about the government’s plan to provide a “trusted AI agent” to post-secondary students, with concerns that it could lead to government editorial control similar to past digital bills. The minister said the tool would comply with new legislation and be developed in consultation with national AI institutes.

Bloc Québécois members asked about the absence of an AI oversight bill, protection for creators’ works, and safeguards for workers and citizens’ data when government uses AI. The minister pointed to the new privacy legislation, the Treasury Board’s AI regulations, and an AI labour advisory council. He also noted a $50-million investment in a creative technology program and ongoing work with the heritage minister on an AI culture advisory group.

The committee did not make any decisions or votes during the meeting. No motions were moved, and no unresolved business was left for future meetings. The discussion was solely an information session with the minister and departmental officials.