Foreign AI Risks Canada
Canadian PM Mark Carney warns foreign AI could be used against citizens, pledges data protection.
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney launched a sweeping national AI strategy on June 4, warning that foreign artificial intelligence platforms could be turned against Canadians. "Foreign entities could access Canadian data, deploy AI products that shape Canadian lives without reflecting our values," Carney said, according to CBC News.
The plan, called "AI for All," comes with $2.3 billion in new investments and targets a jump in AI adoption among Canadian businesses from 12% today to 60% by 2034, according to KARE 11. Carney said Canada must move from "reliance to resilience" by owning its own AI infrastructure.
Carney Says AI Could Be Weaponized Against Canadians
Carney made the warning during the official launch of the strategy at Toronto General Hospital alongside AI Minister Evan Solomon. He said most Canadian data already crosses the border and could be accessed by foreign actors. He compared the risk to other forms of foreign interference that have targeted Canada in recent years, according to KARE 11.
Canada's Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference had already flagged disinformation as the "single biggest risk" to Canadian democracy in January 2025. AI-generated deepfakes of Carney himself have been used in investment scams, adding urgency to the new strategy, according to LMT Online.
$2 Billion Supercomputer and a Sovereign Tech Push
The centerpiece of the plan is a $2 billion investment in a public AI supercomputer — what the government calls "sovereign compute" capacity. The idea is to give Canadian researchers, hospitals, and businesses access to powerful AI tools without relying on US or Chinese platforms, according to WRAL.
The strategy also includes a $700 million Compute Access Fund for small and medium-sized businesses, a $50 million Canadian AI Safety Institute, and free AI literacy training for one million post-secondary students. The government projects 250,000 new AI-related jobs and $200 billion in added GDP growth by 2031, according to Fox 61.
Critics Question Details, Costs, and Missing Legislation
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre dismissed the plan as "rhetoric vs. reality," arguing that after years of Liberal promises, Canada's economy is more dependent on foreign technology than ever. He pointed to the $4.34 billion Phoenix pay system failure as a warning about government-led tech projects, according to Seattle Times.
Privacy experts noted that the government promised new online safety laws and modernized privacy legislation but offered no firm timeline. Canada's previous AI bill, the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act, died in Parliament in early 2025 when it was prorogued, leaving a regulatory gap that has yet to be filled, according to 5 News Online.
Canada Eyes a Middle-Power Alliance on Digital Sovereignty
Canada is not acting alone. In April 2026, Canada and Finland signed a joint statement on Sovereign Technology and AI Cooperation, exploring an alliance among mid-sized democracies to build alternatives to US and Chinese platforms. Carney has framed this as part of his "value-based realism" approach to global trade and technology, according to 10TV.
At home, polling from Abacus Data shows a public split — 70% of Canadians believe AI will make jobs in their industry obsolete. University of Ottawa law professor Teresa Scassa said the "ground has shifted" from questions about AI adoption to urgent concerns about safety and social impact, according to WZZM 13.
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