Artificial intelligence could go a long way to fixing a problem that’s weighing on Canada’s economy, said federal Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne onstage at the Elevate tech conference Thursday. (The Logic)

Talking point: Canada’s economy is struggling with inefficiency, to the point that many—including my colleague Kevin—argue the country is facing a productivity crisis. Champagne touted Canada’s ecosystem of AI talent and companies as a solution, but said the country has a problem finding domestic customers for the technology. “The challenge for us is adoption,” he said. While large companies have been using AI for a long time, he said, smaller firms have been holdouts, in part because of what Champagne described as a fear that it will negatively impact workers. “This is work-enhancing,” he said, “not work-reducing.” AI firms may have the biggest impact on productivity, he added, by selling their tech to small- and mid-sized businesses.