Submission to the Standing Committee on Science and Research study on innovation and scientific research concerning artificial intelligence

Canada’s global leadership in AI is powered by its universities — the source of the research, talent and partnerships driving innovation across every sector. University researchers built the foundations of modern AI and continue to advance breakthroughs that boost health, sustainability and productivity. By investing in research infrastructure and supporting university-based talent Canada can secure its competitive edge and ensure AI innovation strengthens our economy and improves life for all Canadians.

In our submission, Universities Canada calls for:

1. Invest in secure, scalable compute infrastructure anchored in public infrastructure, to support discovery, advance participation from all regions of Canada and reinforce Canadian data
   sovereignty.
2. Invest in AI research talent: Sustained and predictable funding is needed to train, retain and attract top domestic and international AI researchers.
3. Ensure universities remain core partners in shaping AI policy and regulation, grounded in scientific evidence, ethics and responsible research practices.

Canada’s potential for mass-scale AI adoption will require a coordinated, multi-pronged approach that maintains a strong research ecosystem, including compute infrastructure and investments in AI research talent, while ensuring Canadian businesses can access domestic technical expertise to integrate AI solutions responsibly and competitively.