WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO WISCONSIN: Canada has made artificial intelligence a top priority for nearly a decade.
Canada is “undeniably one of the world’s leading players” in artificial intelligence (AI), a 2023 report by Deloitte Canada says.
The study shows that $2.6 billion was invested in Canadian AI research and development in 2022-23 and the number of AI patents filed by Canadian inventors rose by 57% over the previous year. Also during that year, 46 new AI companies were founded.
Canada’s pool of AI employees has increased 38%, on average, in each of the past five years, topping the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Sweden. About half of all AI jobs are considered well-paying, with salaries of $82,000 a year or more.
Canada has focused on building its AI sector since 2017, when the country launched its Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy with the goal of becoming a leader in the field by 2030. In 2021, the second phase of the initiative was announced, with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Standards Council of Canada, and Canada’s Global Innovation Clusters partnering to work on commercializing and adopting AI technology, developing standards, increasing capacity, and advancing its priorities in science, health, the environment, and commercialization.
Three national AI institutes are located in Toronto, Montreal, and Edmonton, and they are the hubs of Canada’s AI ecosystem.
In June 2022, the government tabled a bill that would regulate international and interprovincial trade and commerce in AI and would set guidelines for transparency. It’s expected that act will not go into effect until at least 2025.
The Deloitte report says Canada now has 30 active AI companies, including 670 AI startups, and ranks fourth globally in generative AI companies per capita.
As Canada grows this sector, Wisconsin companies with AI expertise, products, or services may find an increasing list of opportunities; it is also important to keep up with the changing regulatory landscape.
