Dr. Kevin Petrecca, Neurology and Neurosurgery (The Neuro), employs the SENTRYâ„¢ during glioblastoma surgery, an advanced technology designed to help identify and remove residual cancer cells before they can regenerate. Image by Anthony Revoy.
AI and digital technologies are increasingly embedded in everyday life, shaping how we work, care for our families, communicate, access public services, experience arts and culture, and interact with health care and financial systems.
AI is also a catalyst for innovation and societal and economic transformation. 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ is a recognized leader in Canada’s AI ecosystem and a key contributor to global AI research. Yet, while Canada is internationally renowned for its AI expertise, it has not fully translated this strength into widespread adoption and implementation at the pace of its global peers. Closing this gap is essential to maximizing AI’s potential economic gains, including job creation, business growth, global competitiveness, and increased productivity and resilience, while ensuring that AI systems are developed with accountability, transparency, equity, and accessibility at their core.
Our Strengths
Our AI research strength lies not only in foundational AI science, but also in our ability to translate research into real-world applications. Through our Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) AI Chairs and as co-founder of Mila, one of the world’s leading centres in deep learning, 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ is driving AI-powered innovations in medical diagnostics, climate modelling, smart mobility, and industrial optimization. The breadth of our expertise sets us apart.
Deeply rooted in computer science and mathematics, our research is tightly integrated with ethics, law, neuroscience, linguistics, engineering, and the physical and social sciences. Our robust entrepreneurship ecosystem, including the 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship and the 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Engine Centre, connects discovery to deployment. The creation of start-ups and partnerships embeds AI into sectors critical to Canada’s productivity, from life science and health care to energy and resource management.
Our Ambition
Looking ahead, 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ aims to define a Canadian model of applied, sovereign AI that is scientifically rigorous, responsible, and productivity driven. Researchers must help advance human-centred applications in health, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, financial services, retail, and public services.
By linking discovery science with entrepreneurship and innovation, we will help Canada close the implementation gap, retain top talent, and grow high-impact firms that anchor AI leadership domestically. Aligned with national priorities such as the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy and the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, we will expand our leadership to develop secure, equitable, sustainable AI infrastructures that serve people, communities, and the economy.