AI Minister Evan Solomon had previously said Ottawa would release a much-anticipated update to the national technology policy in the first quarter. On Tuesday at the N3 Summit, he told reporters that the launch had been pushed back by other issues and parliamentary business that the Liberal government has needed to address. The AI strategy is coming “very soon,” Solomon said, although he added that Ottawa is still open to updating it with new measures. (The Logic)

Talking point: Canada’s original national AI plan focused on attracting and retaining researchers, and was later extended to include commercializing new breakthroughs, and increasing the country’s compute capacity. Ottawa has signalled that the updated strategy will also address issues like skills development and trust in the technology. It will include measures to support AI in industrial settings like manufacturing facilities, Solomon said Tuesday. Ottawa has begun to roll out the $300-million AI Compute Access Fund, which helps firms pay for processing power, and is considering expanding the program, he said. “There’s a huge demand for compute [and] innovation.”