“For more than 20 years, the National Research Council of Canada has been at the forefront of responsible applied AI,” added Mitch Davies, president, National Research Council of Canada. “Under the new institute, we will lead research projects to mitigate risks and advance the safe and reliable development of AI systems that are crucial to government priorities and Canada’s innovation objectives.”

CAISI will also collaborate with safety institutes in other jurisdictions as part of the new International Network of AI Safety Institutes, which will convene for the first time later this month in San Francisco.

AI safety institute housed with ISED

CAISI will be housed at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, with a dedicated office responsible for overseeing the research agenda and engaging with international partners.

Canada’s AI sector is a key job creator and driver of productivity, innovation and economic growth:

• In 2022–23, there were over 140,000 actively engaged AI professionals in Canada, an increase of 29% compared to the previous year.
• Canada has 10% of the world’s top-tier AI researchers, the second most in the world.
• Canada ranks first globally for year-over-year growth of women in AI (67% growth in 2022–23 alone); first in the G7 for year-over-year growth of AI talent; and, since 2019, first in the G7 for the number of AI-related papers published per capita.
• The number of AI patents filed by Canadian inventors increased by 57% in 2022–23 compared to the previous year—nearly three times the G7 average of just 23% over the same period.
• In 2022, the Canadian AI sector attracted over $8.6 billion in venture capital, accounting for nearly 30% of all venture capital activity in Canada.
• Canada ranks third in the G7 in total funding per capita raised for AI companies, with more than 670 Canadian AI start-ups and 30 Canadian generative AI companies receiving at least one investment deal valued at more than US$1 million since 2019.

Canadian businesses are increasingly turning to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as a driver of productivity and competitive advantage – but many are struggling with full integration, according to a previous KPMG report.