AI summit seeks to accelerate responsible adoption

TECHNATION, an industry-government nexus for technology prosperity, launched its inaugural AI4Canada Summit last week in Ottawa. The full-day event brought together industry and government for important discussions on the acceleration of responsible artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in Canada.

TECHNATION operates with a mandate to unite industry and government to enhance the significant impact that technology can have on Canada’s economic prosperity and global competitiveness. The AI4Canada Summit is part of TECHNATION’s call to action to accelerate responsible AI adoption to drive productivity, enable the digitalization of sectors, and energize industry and government collaboration across Canada.

“AI’s potential is infinite, but Canada still lags in AI adoption. Accelerating responsible AI adoption across all sectors will require a bold commitment and call to action for government and industry collaboration,” said Angela Mondou, president and CEO, TECHNATION. “Together, we can define a strategic and targeted approach to boost Canada’s productivity and global competitiveness.”

The AI4Canada Summit convened Canadian and global leaders and government officials who delivered insight and recommendations on AI adoption best practices to leverage GenAI’s transforming technology nationwide.

Critical for Canada to maintain its AI leadership

AI is a hyper-evolving space; as such, an updated national coordinated plan for AI adoption is critical for Canada to maintain its AI leadership position in the highly competitive global economy.

“AI is a significant driver of technology advancement and productivity. As AI continues to evolve, we must be responsible and in particular observe citizens’ legal rights,” said Hon. Anita Anand, president of the treasury board. “Discussions like this summit held by TECHNATION are crucial as they bring industry and government together. Working hand in hand, we will uphold Canada’s position as a leader in AI.”

Explores the transformative power of AI

At the Summit, global and Canadian technology leaders, shared perspectives on the importance of AI adoption in a Canadian and global landscape. Ashok Krish, global head, AI Cloud Advisory & Consulting Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) highlighted key findings from their recently published AI for Business Study, which explores the transformative power of AI for business.

“The latest evolution of artificial intelligence—including generative AI capabilities—has the potential to help companies reimagine entire value chains, experience pervasive performance improvements, and create new ways of working,” said Ashok Krish, Global Head, AI Cloud Advisory & Consulting, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). “Canada is uniquely and positively positioned in this domain; our AI for Business Study found that Canadian respondents reported more optimism about AI’s potential impact than any other country surveyed.”