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Canada Announces $2 Billion AI Compute Strategy

Justin Barber

— 1 min read

The Canadian government has announced a new initiative to enhance the country's artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. The Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, launched by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, aims to invest up to $2 billion to bolster AI infrastructure. This funding, outlined in Budget 2024, is intended to support three main objectives:

  • Data Centre Expansion: Up to $700 million will be allocated to grow Canadian AI capabilities by investing in new or expanded data centres through the AI Compute Challenge.

  • Public Computing Infrastructure: Up to $1 billion will be used to build large-scale public computing infrastructure.

  • SME Access to Compute Power: Up to $300 million will be directed towards providing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with affordable access to computing resources via the AI Compute Access Fund.

The strategy is designed to ensure that Canadian businesses and researchers have the necessary compute capacity to develop AI products domestically and advance research. The government emphasizes that this initiative will help maintain Canada's position as a preferred destination for AI investment and talent.

Public consultations for the strategy involved over 1,000 stakeholders from various sectors, including research, industry, and civil society. The government also plans to support the responsible development and adoption of AI through measures such as the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (Bill C-27).

The strategy is part of a broader effort to meet the compute needs of AI researchers and developers in the short, medium, and long term, with the goal of fostering innovation and economic growth in the AI sector.

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