Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has launched the National Council on Artificial Intelligence, an advisory body to guide the country’s AI strategy.

The council was unveiled in Ottawa on October 2. It will advise the government on the “AI for All” strategy, covering sovereign AI infrastructure, adoption across industries, public trust and safety. Its members include AI researchers Ajay Agrawal and Yoshua Bengio, along with business leaders such as Shopify’s Michelle Zatlyn.

Carney said Canada needs a national plan as AI reshapes the economy. The council will focus on keeping Canadian data and computing power in the country, helping small businesses adopt AI, and setting guardrails for safe use.

Canada has been a pioneer in AI research but has lagged in commercial adoption. The government wants to close that gap and make sure the benefits of AI reach ordinary Canadians.

The council will publish its recommendations over the coming months. Its work will feed into federal policy on AI investment, talent and regulation.