Make AI a Basic Right for Canadians
Mike Murchison
Goals
Canada should become the world's most AI-literate nation.
This means every Canadian worker will use AI tools as naturally as they use email. Every government department will integrate AI to improve effectiveness and efficiency. Every entrepreneur will build companies powered by AI from day one. When the world thinks of artificial intelligence adoption, they'll think of Canada.
To get there will require a bold approach to using this technology. We will need to rethink government priorities around AI leadership, transform how businesses operate by making AI adoption simple, retrain our workforce, and create Universal Basic Compute to empower every Canadian.
The prize is enormous. Countries with the most AI-literate populations will dominate the next economy. Their companies will be more innovative. Their workers will be more productive. Their citizens will be wealthier. Canada can be that country, but only if we move fast and think big.
Target: By 2028, Canada will have the world's most AI-capable population, with 90% of Canadians demonstrating fluency in AI use, 100% having free access to advanced AI tools, and a world-leading rank in AI use per citizen.
Background and Motivation
AI literacy is becoming as essential as reading, writing, and basic math. The countries that make their populations AI-literate first will see large gains similar to the adoption of previous transformative technologies like electrification or road construction. Canada can be a winner in this race, but only if we move fast and boldly embrace this general purpose technology that has the ‘potential to transform broad swaths of the economy’1.
Canada has real advantages we're not using to their full potential. We have one of the most talented and educated workforces in the world and we have consistently been pioneers in AI research. We rank 6th globally for AI readiness2 and 13th for digital competitiveness3. Nearly all Canadian teens have computer access and score above international averages in digital literacy4.
But we're wasting these strengths. Risk aversion by both government and business means that rather than embracing AI we are lagging behind. Canada ranked 20th out of 35 countries for AI adoption among mid-sized and large firms in 2021. At that time global leaders like Denmark had over double Canada’s adoption rate and there has been almost no change since then5.
This hesitancy is misplaced. The productivity gains from AI are massive, proven, and likely understated as AI models are continuing to improve rapidly. Call-centre agents with AI support resolve ~14% more customer issues and AI enabled software developer output can often be more than 50% higher6. Countries with higher AI adoption show stronger economic growth and higher wages and it is a good bet that these will only continue. One Canadian study estimates serious adoption could boost Canada’s labor productivity by ~8% by 2030, saving the average Canadian worker ~125 hours every year7 - that’s the equivalent of 15 work days or three full weeks of vacation for the average worker.
Let's set the groundwork for success by creating Universal Basic Compute so every Canadian gets access to free AI tools. This will transform how businesses operate by making AI adoption simple so they never have to worry about unnecessary regulation. Let's also retrain our workforce and rethink government priorities around AI leadership to encourage its adoption.
If we do this right we'll see a dramatic improvement in the effectiveness of businesses in Canada. Our startups, small and medium businesses, and large corporations will all become some of the most productive in the world increasing their competitiveness both at home and abroad. Foreign investment will increase as businesses seek access to one of the most sophisticated user bases in the world, and as investors see that Canadian workers increase a business’s adaptability and growth. Top talent from around the world will seek out Canada both because they want to be surrounded by people at the frontier of this technological revolution, and as American immigration policy puts up barriers.
The window won't stay open forever. Right now, the most powerful AI tools are still expensive and hard for the average Canadian to access. More importantly, the technology is still new and has only been mastered by a sliver of the population. But, the leading edge of the technology is getting simpler and more distributed and sooner rather than later, knowing how to use AI will simply be expected. The countries that get there first will have built industries, trained workforces, and created wealth that others will struggle to match.
Canada can own this moment. We can be the country where every worker, every student, every entrepreneur is already living in the future using cutting-edge AI skills. We can bend our productivity growth curve to a level that catches the world by surprise.
Real-World Solutions
Canada's CanCode Program8 demonstrated how federal coordination can rapidly scale digital skills nationwide. Launched in 2017, the program invested $230 million to fund nonprofit organizations delivering coding workshops to K-12 students across every province and territory. Rather than reforming curricula directly, the government strategically partnered with expert organizations like Actua and Canada Learning Code to reach scale quickly. By 2025, CanCode will have trained over 3 million students and 100,000 teachers, creating a force-multiplier effect that embeds digital capacity directly into schools. Impact surveys show the majority of participants reported increased confidence with technology, proving that coordinated federal investment can rapidly transform national digital literacy while building the foundation for inclusive participation in the digital economy.
Japan's AI Talent Development Strategy9 showed how national commitment can reverse brain drain and build domestic AI capacity. In 2019, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set an ambitious goal to train 250,000 people in AI skills by 2025 through updated university curricula and subsidized training programs. The strategy directly addressed Japan's shortage of AI specialists through coordinated government action across education and workforce development. By 2020, Japan had reversed its net outflow of AI professionals to become a net importer of AI talent, aligning with the program's rollout. This dramatic turnaround – from losing tech talent to attracting it – demonstrated how systematic national investment in AI literacy can rapidly transform a country's competitive position in the global AI economy while creating the skilled workforce needed for domestic industry expansion.
Finland's Constitutional Internet Access10, 11, 12, 13 established broadband as a legal right in 2010, guaranteeing every citizen minimum connection speeds that increased from 1 Mbps to 5 Mbps by 2021. This foundational policy drove household internet access from 81% to 97.6% by 2022 and positioned Finland as Europe's digital leader, ranking 1st in the EU's Digital Economy and Society Index for multiple consecutive years. The economic impact was transformative: startup investment surged from €121 million in 2010 to over €1 billion by 2021, while deep-tech employment grew from 220 people to nearly 4,900. Finland became Europe's remote work leader with 25.1% of employees working remotely by 2021, demonstrating how treating digital infrastructure as a constitutional right created the foundation for economic resilience, workforce adaptability, and rapid innovation across the entire economy.
What Needs To Be Done
Canada needs to move fast and coordinate across all levels of government to establish AI as a basic right.
Reintroduce enhanced AI legislation. Bring back Bill C-27 with provisions to treat AI as a public good. Add specific government mandates to promote AI access alongside risk regulation. Establish an advisory committee on AI adoption and strengthen transparency requirements for government AI systems.
Eliminate regulatory barriers through targeted AI modernization. Issue an Order in Council establishing AI Regulatory Sandboxes within each federal department to fast-track approvals for AI applications under existing safety frameworks. For example: Direct Health Canada to allow AI diagnostic tools that meet current medical device standards without additional AI-specific requirements. Instruct Transport Canada to permit AI-powered automation in manufacturing and logistics under existing workplace safety rules. Order the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to treat AI services the same as traditional software for regulatory purposes. The goal is simple: if it's safe under current rules, it's approved for AI use.
Launch a National AI Literacy Campaign. Create an Office for Public AI Literacy within the federal AI ministry and expand existing digital programs to include AI training. Mandate AI literacy courses for all federal employees and integrate AI skills into workforce development programs.
Transform every school into an AI powerhouse through a National AI Lab Infrastructure Program. Create a modern version of the 1960s shop-class boom from the Technical and Vocational Training Assistance Act by having the federal government cover 75% of capital costs for AI labs in every high school and middle school to provide standardized equipment packages, cloud computing credits, and bundled teacher training so school boards can order everything off-the-shelf. There will be a two-year deadline to complete the buildout funded by working with provinces to redirecting a portion of the Canada Social Transfer education block from outdated and ineffective programs toward AI infrastructure. The 1960s shop-class boom created the skilled trades workforce that built modern Canada. The AI lab boom will create the digitally fluent generation that dominates the global economy.
Integrate AI skills into federal job retraining programs. Amend Employment Insurance to add AI literacy training to the list of approved programs and direct Employment and Social Development Canada to fast-track approval for AI training courses that meet standardized competency frameworks, ensuring unemployed and underemployed Canadians can access these programs with full income support. The goal is to ensure no Canadian loses economic opportunity because they lack AI skills – instead, periods of career transition become springboards to master the tools that define the future economy.
Create Universal Basic Compute through federal action. Issue an Order in Council directing Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to establish a national AI platform providing free baseline access to the most intelligent Large Language Models (LLMs) from companies like Cohere, OpenAI, and Anthropic to all Canadian residents. Every citizen gets monthly quotas of AI queries and compute hours for personal, educational, and professional use. Use buying power to negotiate bulk procurement with cloud providers and partner with public libraries and community centers as AI access points for citizens without devices.
Upgrade telecommunications infrastructure. Amend the Telecommunications Act to include advanced digital services like AI tools in universal service objectives. Direct the CRTC to ensure broadband capacity sufficient for AI applications reaches all communities. Expand the Universal Broadband Fund to consider AI access needs and explore zero-rating public AI platform traffic to eliminate data charges.
Common Questions
Why does Canada need to lead in AI instead of just keeping up with other countries? With every new technology there are leaders and followers. Leaders receive the greatest economic and social benefits and end up setting the rules for followers. We have to make a bold choice to take a leadership position so we can reap the rewards. When Canada becomes the most AI-literate nation, we will attract the world's best companies, researchers, and investors. Our startups will get first access to global talent. And, our workers command higher salaries because they've got skills other countries are still trying to teach. Leading isn't just better than following – it's exponentially more profitable.
How do we know this will actually boost the economy instead of just costing money? AI adoption is already transforming economies to make them more prosperous. Depending on the industry, workers using AI 14% to 40% more productive and in some cases even higher14. As more people master AI through these productivity gains are almost certain to increase. Already companies with AI-skilled employees are growing faster and creating more jobs. Countries embracing AI are seeing stronger economic growth. When every Canadian has these capabilities, our entire economy will become more competitive. This an investment in infrastructure to power the next Canadian economic boom, not additional operational spending.
What happens to workers whose jobs change because of AI? AI will have profound effects on our economy just like the invention of the internet and the smartphone. As part of this it will create huge numbers of entirely new occupations that didn’t exist previously. Those who master AI will be at the forefront of this new economy. Their jobs will get better, not be eliminated. To make sure that we secure these benefits for our people Canada should be leading in the creation of these new jobs, not in the backseat.
Won't this create privacy problems or make people too dependent on technology? Canada's existing privacy framework, including PIPEDA and provincial privacy legislation, will continue to govern AI applications. And, greater familiarity as a result of these programs will help with oversight to address emerging privacy considerations rather than hold it back. Generally, there is a fundamental distinction between passive reliance on technology and active mastery of it. Rather than technological dependence, this initiative builds fluency – empowering Canadians with the knowledge and skills to use AI tools purposefully. Through AI literacy, Canadians will develop the competency to harness AI capabilities while maintaining agency over when, how, and why they engage with these tools.
Conclusion
Canada can lead the world in AI adoption. We've got the education system, the digital infrastructure, and the innovative spirit to make it happen. What we need now is the vision and leadership to see what's possible and the determination to make it real.
When every Canadian knows how to use AI, we don't just change individual lives – we transform our entire economy. We become the country where breakthrough companies get started, where the world's best talent wants to live, and where the future gets built first.
The opportunity is enormous, but it won't last forever. Countries that hesitate will spend the next decade trying to catch up to countries that acted boldly today.
Indicative Legal Changes
