Carney’s campaign made big promises for AI. Will his government deliver? [Video]

Mark Carney’s promise to lead a Canadian economic transformation includes a renewed focus on artificial intelligence, which the new prime minister listed as a key pillar of his plan.

Experts say they are encouraged by Carney’s campaign pledge to invest in the technology. But they say that after establishing itself as a leader in the early decades of AI development, Canada risks falling farther behind other countries if his government doesn’t deliver.

“They care about the right stuff and I think they are generally on the right track,” said Lawrence Zhang, head of policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation’s Centre for Canadian Innovation and Competitiveness.

“I don’t know if they’re going to deliver or not. But it’s extremely important that they do deliver.”

During the election campaign, Carney announced up to $15,000 for workers in priority sectors to learn how to use AI. The Liberal platform also promised …