Prime Minister Mark Carney urges scaled AI use across government, appoints Canada’s first Minister of AI and Digital Innovation.
Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has issued his first mandate letter to cabinet, calling for the widespread deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) across government operations. The directive emphasizes AI as a key tool to boost productivity, enhance efficiency, and stretch scarce public funds to catalyze private sector investment.
Carney’s push to “deploy AI at scale” aligns with mounting pressure from Canada’s technology sector to integrate AI more aggressively in public services.
Canada Appoints First Minister of AI and Digital Innovation
The policy shift follows Carney’s recent appointment of Evan Solomon—the former journalist—as Canada’s first-ever Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation. Solomon will also oversee the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
The announcement marks a continuation of the Trudeau government’s $2-billion Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy. Carney’s campaign had also pledged an additional $2.5 billion toward broadband and data centre development.
Tech Leaders Respond as AI Becomes a Baseline Expectation
Industry figures have welcomed the move. Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke responded to the mandate on X, saying “well said,” and noted that more AI memos like his own were “dropping every day.”
Lütke previously told his staff that AI use is now a “baseline expectation,” and teams must demonstrate that AI is not suitable for a task before requesting additional resources or staffing.
AI-Driven Job Shifts Begin as Government and Industry Align
The private sector is already adjusting. OpenText, Canada’s enterprise information giant, laid off 1,600 employees earlier this year in what CEO Mark Barrenechea described as an “AI-first transformation.” The company plans to hire 1,000 people in high-impact areas, with an emphasis on AI fluency, including prompting and programming.
A mandate email obtained by BetaKit confirmed AI proficiency is a prerequisite for new roles, while existing employees are expected to upskill.
Meanwhile, companies like Bell Canada have begun using AI to automate customer service operations, reportedly saving $20 million in labor costs via Google AI tools. Though major players like Microsoft insist AI won’t replace jobs outright, usage patterns indicate a shift in workforce dynamics.
Carney’s vision may reshape public administration and policy implementation. As one senior government official observed, “We’re no longer just talking about digital transformation—we’re executing it, powered by AI.”
