Evan Solomon is sworn in as Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on May 13, 2025.Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press
Last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney broke with the practice of the Trudeau government and came out with a single mandate letter for his entire cabinet, rather than one for each minister.
That group mandate letter made precisely two mentions of artificial intelligence, providing no further clarity on what Canadians can expect from their first-ever minister of AI and digital innovation, Evan Solomon.
Mr. Carney’s announcement of the new role is an indication of his plans to take the digital industry more seriously than his predecessor. The Trudeau government left behind a trail of failed innovation policies, including the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) that died with the proroguement of Parliament. But Mr. Carney has carved out an entire ministry for AI.
And it’s about time. Both the European Union and the United States have already taken bold steps in the race to regulate AI, with Canada left behind to decide which path to follow.
Given the circumstances, Mr. Solomon has been handed a golden opportunity: a rapidly evolving industry in need of thoughtful regulation.
At stake are the lives of Canadians that could be upended by the unfettered growth of this technology. Potential doomsday scenarios aside, AI consumes mass amounts of resources such as energy and water, demands the destructive mining of critical minerals, propagates existing biases within society and requires mass amounts of personal data to thrive.
But when done responsibly, it could amount to a payoff of massive economic growth and gains in productivity and efficiency. Mr. Carney declined to hand Mr. Solomon an AI-specific mandate letter – but here’s what we wish he had written.
Establish a regulatory framework specific to AI. In 2022, the federal government proposed its first AI act as part of Bill C-27, or the Digital Charter Implementation Act. It was true then and it’s even truer now: Canada’s AI policy should stand on its own two feet. If the technology is complex enough to warrant its own minister, it deserves its own bill in Parliament.
Make it clear to AI companies in Canada how they can expect to be regulated and what opportunities for growth are. Ottawa closely aligned itself with the European Union’s AI Act in its previous AI policy, which was criticized for vague wording and a hurried approach. Since then, U.S. President Donald Trump has entered the arena south of the border with a new, no-holds-barred approach. Thus, Canada stands at a crossroads.
It would be wise of Mr. Solomon to land somewhere in the middle. Canada can’t afford to match the EU’s strict approach and risk losing companies to the United States. But it should also not be so reckless as to follow the U.S.’s brash lead, putting citizens at risk of dangers not yet fully understood.
Mr. Solomon must create a Canada-lite regulatory model that keeps Canadians and their data safe, while allowing domestic companies to remain competitive. For example, creating a tiered policy where regulations differ depending on the complexity of the AI technology used, and where regular revisions are required to avoid having stagnant regulations govern an evolving industry.
Make (some) time for public consultation. Canada is trailing in its regulation, but it’s worth taking the time for proper public consultation. Multiple open letters denounced the federal government’s lack of consultation prior to introducing AIDA, which failed to include the appropriate mechanisms for addressing industry and granted too much ministerial discretion to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. This time must be different.
The urgency of Mr. Solomon’s work cannot be overstated, but it must be weighed against the necessity of consulting with industry and the public to ensure the foundational policy actually makes sense.
Start with the basics. Despite the lethargy of the federal government, Canadians have made a name on the world AI stage. Toronto alone boasts the godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton, leading companies such as Cohere, and renowned research hubs such as the Vector Institute. Mr. Solomon’s mandate is – or at least should be – to not get distracted by glitzy funding announcements and instead to focus on ensuring Canadians have the basic regulations in place for safe, responsible and supported AI innovation.