The All In conference in Montreal brought together policymakers and innovators to examine how Canada can position itself at the forefront of artificial intelligence. While the event showcased the country’s strengths in research and entrepreneurship, a consistent theme ran through the speeches: Investment and innovation alone are not enough.

Without updated privacy laws, clear rules on data governance, and frameworks that build public trust, Canada risks falling behind in global competition. As Minister Evan Solomon reminded the audience, “technology moves at the speed of innovation, but adoption moves at the speed of trust.”

The conference made clear that regulatory clarity will be decisive in turning Canada’s AI ecosystem into a source of long-term economic resilience and democratic strength.

Building Canada’s digital future through law

At the All In conference in Montreal, Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, underscored that Canada stands at a decisive moment where a technological revolution coincides with political realignment.

He argued that it is the legislature’s responsibility to secure the country’s digital sovereignty by ensuring Canada owns both the tools and the rules of the digital economy.

This means keeping critical data under Canadian jurisdiction, protecting sensitive information, and fostering innovation rooted in Canada. For Solomon, digital sovereignty is not just an economic strategy but also a legislative mission tied directly to safeguarding national independence.

He then emphasized that Canada’s privacy and data laws, written more than 25 years ago, urgently require modernization. Legislative reform must include protections against deepfakes, scams, and exploitative data practices that threaten public trust.

He stressed that Canadians will embrace new technologies only when they feel secure in their use, and that trust can be guaranteed only through clear, updated laws.

For Solomon, trust is as much a legislative matter as a social one, and establishing rigorous standards for data use and consumer protection is the key to ensuring AI becomes a tool for opportunity rather than a source of fear.

“Technology moves at the speed of innovation, but adoption moves at the speed of trust.”

Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation

Solomon outlined three pillars that demand immediate legislative attention: capital, customers, and compute. He proposed new legal tools to channel capital into Canadian companies, procurement reforms to position government as an early and reliable customer of domestic AI solutions, and a sovereign cloud framework to keep critical Canadian data under Canadian law.

These measures, he explained, are Canada’s digital insurance policy: a legal structure designed to guarantee that Canadian companies can scale globally while remaining firmly anchored at home.

Finally, Solomon pointed to forthcoming initiatives such as the launch of a national quantum strategy and the early release of a refreshed National AI Strategy as legislative roadmaps for long-term competitiveness.

He compared this moment to earlier eras when national infrastructure projects like railroads and highways required decisive lawmaking to build the country. Today, he argued, legislators must approach digital infrastructure with the same determination. His conclusion was that the legislative task ahead is to secure trust, sovereignty, and competitiveness so that AI strengthens Canada’s economy and democracy for generations to come.

AI, jobs, and sovereignty in Minister Joly’s vision

Speaking in Montreal at the All In conference, Minister Mélanie Joly focused her remarks on how Canada’s AI strategy must be tied to building economic strength and legal certainty.

She argued that the country needs more Canadian global champions that can project soft power internationally while creating high quality jobs domestically. Joly’s vision positioned AI not only as a technological opportunity but also as a legislative project to secure competitiveness, intellectual property, and market access on Canadian terms.

Joly also addressed the broader economic implications of AI for key industries such as autos, steel, aluminum, copper, and lumber. She noted that these sectors are already under pressure from tariffs and global trade disputes, and insisted that Canada’s laws must serve as a buffer.

In the short term, legal tools should provide liquidity and protect jobs. In the medium term, statutes must encourage companies to adapt and pivot with new technologies. In the long term, legislation should strengthen the domestic market through national projects.

She warned that leaving critical manufacturing sectors behind in AI adoption would undermine both national security and economic resilience.

The minister concluded by connecting AI strategy to defense and sovereignty.

She described a three-pillar framework of buy, build, and partner, where Canadian law will guide procurement of AI solutions for defense, from submarines to satellites, ensuring that domestic companies are embedded in supply chains.

Joly stressed that sovereignty must be understood both physically and virtually, and that AI legislation is central to safeguarding Canada’s future.

By linking AI to defense procurement, talent attraction, and industrial policy, she made clear that the legislative path ahead is about more than innovation: It is about building a resilient Canada that can lead on the global stage.

Regional strategies and the legal foundations of AI: the case of Quebec

At the All In conference, speakers highlighted Quebec’s unique place in Canada’s AI ecosystem and the need to anchor its growth in strong legal and policy frameworks.

Quebec has invested heavily in artificial intelligence, with over 750 million dollars directed in recent years toward research, adoption, and training, noted the panel “Powering Quebec’s Economy With AI.” Leaders pointed to the importance of translating this investment into laws and regulations that ensure ethical use, protection of data, and equitable access for businesses of all sizes.

The message was clear: AI in Quebec is not only about research excellence but also about building the legislative backbone that allows innovation to serve the public interest.

A central theme was the role of government as a catalyst. Officials emphasized that legislation is required to coordinate the diverse actors of the AI ecosystem, from universities to startups and large corporations.

The Quebec Research and Innovation Investment Strategy was cited as an example of how regional policy can provide a framework for collaboration, ensuring that investments in AI generate collective benefits. The speakers stressed that legal instruments such as tax credits and targeted funds must go hand in hand with ethical guidelines, so that AI adoption supports economic growth without compromising fairness, transparency, or accountability.

Quebec was also framed as a model for other provinces in using law to bridge the gap between research and industry.

Announcements included the creation of a new $40m investment fund to help young companies adopt AI early and scale sustainably. This legal and financial support is particularly important for small and medium enterprises, which often face barriers to entry in AI adoption.

The emphasis was on integrating AI into critical sectors such as mining, energy, and manufacturing, with a recognition that regulatory clarity will help these industries adopt technologies that improve safety, productivity, and competitiveness.

Finally, speakers underscored the human dimension of AI strategy.

Training and education were identified as essential legal responsibilities for government, starting from primary schools through universities. By embedding AI literacy in the education system and aligning it with ethical and legal standards, Quebec aims to prepare its workforce for an economy where AI is central.

The province’s experience demonstrates how regional strategies, backed by legislation, can serve as laboratories for Canada’s national AI policy. In this way, Quebec is not only advancing its own ecosystem but also helping to shape the legal contours of AI development and adoption across the country.

Reflections on Canada’s AI moment

Several other panels at the conference emphasized that Canada finds itself in what several speakers called a hinge moment, where political realignment and rapid technological change converge.

Unlike two years ago, when Canadian companies often highlighted their foreign offices first, the current climate has renewed confidence in Canada’s own identity as an AI leader. This shift, speakers noted, requires not only ambition and investment but also a willingness to legislate frameworks that keep intellectual property, patents, and high-value jobs within the country.

AI was framed as both an opportunity for global engagement and a test of whether Canada can move beyond its traditional resource extraction model toward building and exporting advanced technologies.

Adoption of AI was also discussed as a legal and social challenge. Speakers pointed out that privacy protections, security laws, and clear regulatory structures will determine whether Canadians and Canadian businesses embrace AI at scale.

Success, in their view, should be measured not only by investment figures or patents filed but also by whether adoption becomes widespread and trusted across industries. This requires government to update decades-old privacy legislation, while companies must demonstrate responsible use to reassure employees, customers, and international partners.

The shared conclusion was that Canada’s AI strategy must be more than aspirational: It has to be backed by laws that balance innovation with accountability, ensuring adoption is both broad and durable.