Mark Carney Unveils National AI Strategy Amid Infrastructure Protests

Prime Minister Mark Carney launched a national artificial intelligence strategy in Toronto, outlining a plan to increase business AI adoption to 60 percent by 2034 and create 90,000 jobs. The initiative includes a $500-million fund for AI companies, $1.75 billion for private sector venture capital, and a $25-billion sovereign wealth fund dedicated to infrastructure and champion companies. The government aims to expand compute capacity by 850 megawatts by 2030.

Despite these targets, the strategy faces significant public and political opposition. NDP Leader Avi Lewis criticized the plan for lacking regulatory guardrails and worker protections. Public sentiment appears aligned with these concerns, as an Angus Reid Institute survey found 68 percent of Canadians support heavy government regulation of AI and 68 percent oppose building large data centers near their homes.

Physical opposition to the necessary infrastructure has manifested in several provinces. In British Columbia, hundreds of protesters in Vancouver marched against proposed data centers by Telus. In Saskatchewan, residents opposed a 300-megawatt facility near Regina, and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew blocked a proposed hyperscale data center southeast of Winnipeg, citing community impacts and energy demands.