Prime Minister Mark Carney will take an active role in shaping the agenda of Ottawa’s freshly announced artificial intelligence advisory council, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed on Friday. The council, described as an “all of government” body, will provide independent, practical advice on Canada’s AI transformation while focusing on areas where departmental mandates overlap.
A Hands‑On Role for the Prime Minister
Carney’s involvement goes beyond a ceremonial title. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, “the prime minister recognizes that government action must match the speed of AI,” and he will play an active part in setting the council’s agenda. The statement adds that particular attention will be devoted to policy gaps that arise when responsibilities are spread across multiple departments.
Composition and Expertise of the Council
The advisory group brings together a mix of academic leaders, industry figures and public‑service veterans. It includes AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio, Johns Hopkins’ Gillian Hadfield – whose work centres on AI alignment and governance – and University of Toronto associate professor Sanja Fidler. Venture‑capital specialist Jordan Jacobs of Radical Ventures, McKinsey adviser Eric Lamarre, former banker Louis Vachon, ex‑national security adviser Jody Thomas and former Carney principal secretary turned senator Thomas Pitfield also sit on the panel.
The council’s mandate, as outlined by the Prime Minister’s Office, is to advise on the evolution of the government’s AI for All strategy. That entails accelerating adoption, fostering national champions, building sovereign AI infrastructure, making AI safer, protecting democracy and ensuring that all Canadians prosper from advances in the technology.
Existing AI Advisory Structures
This new panel is at least the fourth AI‑focused advisory body appointed by the Liberal government. An existing council housed at Innovation Canada continues to offer more technical advice to the minister. Earlier this year the government launched an advisory council on AI and labour, which held its first meeting on Monday; Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon met with union representatives from Unifor, the Canadian Union of Public Employees and groups representing nurses, teachers, building trades and food and commercial workers.
In March a separate advisory council on AI and culture was unveiled, a joint initiative between Solomon and Culture Minister Marc Miller. That group aims to help the creative sector navigate rapid AI‑driven changes while safeguarding Canada’s cultural industries and identifying opportunities for growth and innovation.
Why it Matters
Carney’s direct engagement signals that the federal government intends to treat AI not as a peripheral issue but as a core driver of economic and social policy. By uniting experts from academia, business and public service under a council that reports to the prime minister, Canada aims to create a coherent, forward‑looking framework that can keep pace with technological change while addressing risks to labour, culture and democratic institutions. The move could shape how public funds are allocated, how regulations are drafted and how Canada positions itself in the global AI race.
