University of Toronto AI researcher Sanja Fidler joins Canada’s new national AI council
The council will advise Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government on AI adoption, safety, sovereign infrastructure and the evolution of Canada’s AI for All strategy
Sanja Fidler, Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto, has been appointed to Canada’s Prime Minister’s National Council on Artificial Intelligence
Sanja Fidler, Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto, has been appointed to Canada’s newly established Prime Minister’s National Council on Artificial Intelligence.
Prime Minister Mark Carney launched the independent council to provide practical advice on Canada’s AI transformation, including how the government develops its AI for All national strategy. Its remit covers AI adoption, safety and governance, sovereign AI infrastructure, economic competitiveness, government transformation and research.
Fidler joins researchers, business leaders, investors and public sector figures including Yoshua Bengio, Ajay Agrawal, Gillian Hadfield, Valérie Pisano and Michelle Zatlyn.
The council will also advise the government on protecting democratic institutions and developing approaches intended to ensure Canadians can use and benefit from AI safely.
Canada launched AI for All in June 2026 around three objectives: building trust in AI, expanding economic opportunity and strengthening sovereign control over critical AI capabilities.
The government has set targets under the strategy for an additional $200 billion in economic growth and 250,000 new AI-related jobs over five years. It is also aiming to increase AI adoption from just over 12% to 60% by 2034 and provide up to 90,000 AI-related jobs and work placement opportunities for young Canadians.
Advice on Canada’s next phase of AI policy
Carney says the council will help the government navigate both the economic opportunities and risks created by increasingly capable AI systems:
“Prosperity and sovereignty in the age of AI belong to nations that can build, adopt, and govern AI on their own terms. This is Canada’s mission and it will require expertise and leadership from across the field.
“The new National Council on Artificial Intelligence will inform and advise the government on how to most effectively deploy AI in Canada – how to manage the risks, seize the opportunities, and ensure AI is used to improve the lives of all Canadians.”
The council will be supported by a small team within the Privy Council Office, while responsibility for policy decisions and implementation will remain with ministers and government departments.
Its creation follows the September launch of Digital Transformation Canada, a federal organization tasked with modernizing government services and using public procurement to support Canadian digital and AI companies as they scale and commercialize technology.
Fidler’s appointment also brings the University of Toronto directly into a group that will advise on issues spanning AI research, national infrastructure, talent and adoption as Canada develops the next stages of its national strategy.
