Latest news with #CanadianSovereignAIComputeStrategy
Calgary Herald
06-08-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
What is ‘sovereign AI' and why is it a priority for Canada in the age of Trump?
Article content Countries with the resources and know-how to forge ahead on AI development and deployment are building AI factories, which are hubs that unite computing power (known as compute), data, researchers and companies to advance AI models and applications. Article content 'The AI factory will become the bedrock of modern economies across the world,' Jensen Huang, founder and chief executive of AI chip giant Nvidia Corp., said during a media Q&A in 2024. Article content The European Union's InvestAI initiative launched in February will mobilize a 200 billion euro AI investment, with 20 billion euros of that reserved for AI gigafactories. At least 15 AI factories are expected to be operational in the EU in 2025 and 2026, including sites in Germany, Finland, France, Italy and Spain. Article content Stargate LLC, the AI joint venture between OpenAI Inc., SoftBank Group Corp., Oracle Corp. and Metagenomi Inc., said it will invest US$500 billion in the coming years to boost the U.S.'s AI infrastructure and to 'secure American leadership in AI.' Article content Article content Canada, meanwhile, announced the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy in December 2024, which will dole out more than $2 billion over five years to support the domestic AI industry. About half of those funds are earmarked to build out the country's lagging computing infrastructure. Article content Industry leaders and policymakers have for years lamented that while the foundations of AI have their roots in Canada, the country has largely failed to transform its early research lead into tangible economic benefits. Article content The Mark Carney government said it aims to change that. It remains committed to Ottawa's sovereign AI strategy and has also made new promises, such as tax credits to help small businesses adopt AI and to integrate the technology into the public sector. Article content So far, the federal government has only allotted up to $240 million to Toronto's Cohere Inc. to help the company invest in and buy AI compute at a new multi-billion-dollar Ontario data centre to be opened this year and operated by New Jersey-based cloud provider CoreWeave Inc. Article content Article content Evan Solomon, Ottawa's recently minted minister of AI and digital innovation, has said that building Canada's sovereign AI does not require every piece of the tech stack to be Canadian. Article content CIGI's Araya argued the government should fund homegrown tech firms first. Article content 'I wouldn't go looking outside Canada for procurement, (as) it undermines our economic development over time,' he said. 'It also limits our capacity to know exactly how we're managing our data; a huge portion of our data has to go through U.S. infrastructure.' Article content Solomon has also said Canada requires foreign partners, companies and capital to fulfil its vision of sovereign AI. He cited the need to work with the U.S., the United Kingdom, France and Germany, and has signalled that Saudi Arabia could be a potential investor in Canadian AI. Article content Forging strategic alliances is key for Canada's long-term AI strategy, especially if the country can leverage its AI intellectual property (IP) to play from a position of power, said Daniel Wigdor, a University of Toronto computer science professor and the cofounder and chief executive of Axl, a venture studio that aims to build 50 AI companies over the next five years. Article content He said the bulk of AI patents filed in Canada leave the country, with 75 per cent of them going to the tech giants, while only seven per cent of the remaining quarter are assigned to Canadian companies. Article content 'If we can start to recapture that … this strategy can pan out,' he said. 'But if we're just going to sell our stuff to the highest bidder and be dependent on them, there's a big danger in that.' Article content What might sovereign AI look like in the future? Article content Much of the current discussion on sovereign AI revolves around building AI data centre infrastructure and obtaining the energy and cutting-edge chips required to power them. Article content It's a highly costly endeavour, with McKinsey & Co. Inc. estimating in an April report that companies in the compute value chain will need to invest US$5.2 trillion in data centres by 2030 to satiate global AI demand. Article content Araya said Canada is right to invest in data centres, but needs to think beyond that. Article content Article content 'We can't just say we'll take all our public tax dollars and put them into data centres,' he said. 'We've got to think about how we make more money. It's one thing to have the infrastructure in place, but we need the service economy that sits on top of that.' Article content As GenAI models advance, some scholars and industry voices are advocating for an alternative vision of AI that is less power-hungry and more equitable over the bigger-is-better mentality espoused by Silicon Valley's AI giants. Article content Sovereign AI, Wigdor said, doesn't just mean owning the data layer or developing large language models (LLMs). Article content 'If we're going to be spending Canadians' money to establish a sovereign AI play, it should be to leverage our lead in applied computing in AI — applying the technology to solve real-world problems — valuable to people and businesses, and let private industry pay for the rest,' he said. 'That's where we can leap ahead.'
Cision Canada
25-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Government of Canada opens applications for the AI Compute Access Fund
Fund will support Canadian SMEs in accessing high-performance compute capacity OTTAWA, ON, June 25, 2025 /CNW/ - As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to shape our world, the Government of Canada seeks to harness AI's opportunities, mitigate its risks and foster trust. With strategic government investments and support for responsible AI adoption, Canada will grow its AI ecosystem and enhance productivity across the country. Today, the Government of Canada opened applications for the AI Compute Access Fund, a key initiative under the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy. This fund will provide up to $300 million for affordable access to compute power for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to develop made-in-Canada AI products and solutions. A due diligence assessment of each project proposal will be conducted to evaluate: the organization's capacity and experience to implement the project the project's ability to achieve AI Compute Access Fund objectives the viability, impact and benefits of the project to Canada Investing in AI is vital to building the strongest economy in the G7. The Government of Canada remains steadfast in supporting the nation's AI ecosystem with strategic investments that will drive both economic growth and responsible technological advancement. With this commitment, the government is unlocking new opportunities for prosperity, resiliency and national security, while strengthening Canada's leadership position in the global AI landscape. The Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, including the Access Fund, will help: scale Canada's AI industry increase productivity and drive AI adoption rates across the country make high-performance computing more accessible for small and medium-sized businesses foster groundbreaking, made-in-Canada AI solutions in sectors such as life sciences, energy and advanced manufacturing With the AI Compute Access Fund and the broader $2 billion Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, the government is ensuring that Canadian innovators have the tools they need to compete, drive discoveries and create new jobs in a modern, tech-enabled economy. Quote "The AI Compute Access Fund will help break down barriers and empower businesses and entrepreneurs to develop made-in-Canada solutions. By supporting Canadians across the country in accessing world-class computing infrastructure, we will boost productivity, drive economic growth and ensure that Canada's digital future is secure and innovative." – The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Quick facts Through the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, which was launched in December 2024, the Government of Canada is making strategic investments in public and commercial infrastructure to ensure that Canadian innovators, businesses and researchers have access to the compute capacity they need. Public consultations on the strategy took place in summer 2024, receiving input from more than 1,000 stakeholders from research, industry and civil society through in-person and virtual round table discussions and an online survey. The Government of Canada is allocating $2 billion from Budget 2024 through a series of investments to meet the short-, medium- and long-term compute needs of our world-leading innovators, businesses and researchers: Up to $300 million through the AI Compute Access Fund to support the purchase of AI compute resources by innovative Canadian SMEs. This will meet the near-term needs of businesses as the government encourages increased private capital to build domestic compute capacity. Up to $700 million to support projects from industry, academia and the private sector to build Canadian AI data centres. There will be an application process for these funds, with priority given to Canadian projects that can demonstrate a high rate of return on public investment, sustainability and other markers of success. Up to $705 million for a new AI supercomputing system through the AI Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program. This state-of-the-art, Canadian-owned and -located supercomputing system will support researchers and a cross-section of industry, and it will exponentially increase the compute power currently available in Canada. In addition, a smaller secure computing system, to be led by Shared Services Canada and the National Research Council of Canada, will be established for government and industry to perform research and development, including for national security purposes. In the near term, up to $200 million will be provided to augment existing public compute infrastructure to address immediate needs. The AI Compute Access Fund was launched in March 2025 to address barriers to AI development in sectors that require high-performance computing capacity and have high potential for AI adoption. Eligible SMEs can apply by submitting a statement of interest through the online portal. At the 2025 G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada and its G7 partners agreed to a G7 AI Adoption Roadmap to help SMEs adopt AI to drive productivity and competitiveness. Through the AI Compute Access Fund, Canada is meeting its G7 commitments, placing funding and targeted support for Canadian SMEs where it matters. Associated links Stay connected Find more services and information on the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada website. SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Government of Canada opens applications for the AI Compute Access Fund
Fund will support Canadian SMEs in accessing high-performance compute capacity OTTAWA, ON, June 25, 2025 /CNW/ - As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to shape our world, the Government of Canada seeks to harness AI's opportunities, mitigate its risks and foster trust. With strategic government investments and support for responsible AI adoption, Canada will grow its AI ecosystem and enhance productivity across the country. Today, the Government of Canada opened applications for the AI Compute Access Fund, a key initiative under the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy. This fund will provide up to $300 million for affordable access to compute power for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to develop made-in-Canada AI products and solutions. A due diligence assessment of each project proposal will be conducted to evaluate: the organization's capacity and experience to implement the project the project's ability to achieve AI Compute Access Fund objectives the viability, impact and benefits of the project to Canada Investing in AI is vital to building the strongest economy in the G7. The Government of Canada remains steadfast in supporting the nation's AI ecosystem with strategic investments that will drive both economic growth and responsible technological advancement. With this commitment, the government is unlocking new opportunities for prosperity, resiliency and national security, while strengthening Canada's leadership position in the global AI landscape. The Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, including the Access Fund, will help: scale Canada's AI industry increase productivity and drive AI adoption rates across the country make high-performance computing more accessible for small and medium-sized businesses foster groundbreaking, made-in-Canada AI solutions in sectors such as life sciences, energy and advanced manufacturing With the AI Compute Access Fund and the broader $2 billion Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, the government is ensuring that Canadian innovators have the tools they need to compete, drive discoveries and create new jobs in a modern, tech-enabled economy. Quote "The AI Compute Access Fund will help break down barriers and empower businesses and entrepreneurs to develop made-in-Canada solutions. By supporting Canadians across the country in accessing world-class computing infrastructure, we will boost productivity, drive economic growth and ensure that Canada's digital future is secure and innovative."– The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Quick facts Through the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, which was launched in December 2024, the Government of Canada is making strategic investments in public and commercial infrastructure to ensure that Canadian innovators, businesses and researchers have access to the compute capacity they need. Public consultations on the strategy took place in summer 2024, receiving input from more than 1,000 stakeholders from research, industry and civil society through in-person and virtual round table discussions and an online survey. The Government of Canada is allocating $2 billion from Budget 2024 through a series of investments to meet the short-, medium- and long-term compute needs of our world-leading innovators, businesses and researchers: Up to $300 million through the AI Compute Access Fund to support the purchase of AI compute resources by innovative Canadian SMEs. This will meet the near-term needs of businesses as the government encourages increased private capital to build domestic compute capacity. Up to $700 million to support projects from industry, academia and the private sector to build Canadian AI data centres. There will be an application process for these funds, with priority given to Canadian projects that can demonstrate a high rate of return on public investment, sustainability and other markers of success. Up to $705 million for a new AI supercomputing system through the AI Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program. This state-of-the-art, Canadian-owned and -located supercomputing system will support researchers and a cross-section of industry, and it will exponentially increase the compute power currently available in Canada. In addition, a smaller secure computing system, to be led by Shared Services Canada and the National Research Council of Canada, will be established for government and industry to perform research and development, including for national security purposes. In the near term, up to $200 million will be provided to augment existing public compute infrastructure to address immediate needs. The AI Compute Access Fund was launched in March 2025 to address barriers to AI development in sectors that require high-performance computing capacity and have high potential for AI adoption. Eligible SMEs can apply by submitting a statement of interest through the online portal. At the 2025 G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada and its G7 partners agreed to a G7 AI Adoption Roadmap to help SMEs adopt AI to drive productivity and competitiveness. Through the AI Compute Access Fund, Canada is meeting its G7 commitments, placing funding and targeted support for Canadian SMEs where it matters. Associated links Artificial Intelligence (AI) Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy AI Compute Access Fund G7 Leaders' Statement on AI for Prosperity Stay connected Find more services and information on the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada website. Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media.X (Twitter): @ISED_CA, Facebook: Canadian Innovation, Instagram: @cdninnovation, LinkedIn: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada View original content:
