OTTAWA, CANADA / RankWire.AI / – Prime Minister Mark Carney has launched a national artificial intelligence council to advise the federal government on AI adoption, safety and sovereignty. Carney announced the Prime Minister’s National Council on Artificial Intelligence on October 2, 2026. The body will provide independent, practical advice as Canada implements its AI for All national strategy. Its mandate covers economic competitiveness, public services, research, talent, infrastructure and the broader governance of artificial intelligence.
The council will examine how Canada can increase AI use across the economy while strengthening control over critical technology. It will also advise on Canadian AI companies, sovereign infrastructure, safety, governance and risks to democratic institutions. The government says the council will connect public and private stakeholders and identify areas for coordinated action. Cabinet ministers and federal departments will retain responsibility for policy decisions and implementation. A small team in the Privy Council Office will support the council’s work.
The group includes researchers, technology executives, investors, public servants and experts in AI safety and oversight. Members include Yoshua Bengio, Sanja Fidler, Ajay Agrawal, Valérie Pisano, Michelle Zatlyn, Jody Thomas and Louis Vachon. Senator Thomas Pitfield, John Graham, Gillian Hadfield, Jordan Jacobs and Eric Lamarre also serve on the council. Patrick Pichette, chief executive of Digital Transformation Canada, serves as an ex officio member. Their backgrounds span research, finance, national security, technology and public administration.
Council links AI safety with national strategy
Canada launched AI for All in June 2026 as its national artificial intelligence strategy. The framework centers on three objectives: building trust, expanding opportunity and strengthening Canadian control over critical AI capabilities. Its six pillars cover public protection, skills, economic adoption, sovereign infrastructure, Canadian companies and international partnerships. The strategy also calls for stronger AI safety capacity, modernized privacy and online safety rules, and more secure government systems.
The federal government set measurable targets alongside the strategy, including a rise in AI adoption from just over 12% to 60% by 2034. It also targets C$200 billion in additional economic growth and 250,000 new AI-related jobs over five years. The government plans up to 90,000 AI-related jobs and work placements for young Canadians under the broader strategy. In September, Ottawa committed up to C$162 million over five years for 10,000 AI-related work placements through Mitacs AI Advantage.
Federal AI push expands into public services
Carney also launched Digital Transformation Canada in September to modernize federal services and expand the government’s use of digital tools. The organization brings together Shared Services Canada and selected functions from several federal departments and agencies. It has a mandate to improve how the government develops, buys and uses technology. Its priorities include using federal purchasing power to help Canadian digital and AI companies test, scale and commercialize new technologies. Patrick Pichette became chief executive on September 9, 2026.
The new council will operate as an advisory body rather than a policymaking authority. Its work will focus on issues that cut across the government’s AI agenda, including adoption, public-sector transformation, talent and sovereign infrastructure. It will also address safety, governance and protection of Canadian democracy as AI use expands. The council’s recommendations will inform the evolution of AI for All while ministers and departments remain responsible for decisions and delivery. It has no separate authority to make or implement federal policy.