Canada will not become a “digital colony” of Big Tech companies, Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, said [1].
This stance signals a shift toward aggressive digital sovereignty. By implementing a national AI strategy and new regulations, Canada aims to reduce its reliance on foreign technology and prevent external dominance over its digital infrastructure [1, 2].
Speaking at the Web Summit in Vancouver in May 2026, Solomon outlined a regulatory framework designed to balance safety with growth. He said the government's AI regulation will be "airtight on bias, racism, and hate," but will remain light on innovation in areas where no harms emerge [2].
A central pillar of this strategy is the development of domestic hardware. Canada is currently the only G7 country without a supercomputer in the top 25 globally [3]. To rectify this, Solomon said Canada is on track to build a home-grown AI supercomputer by 2031 [4].
The government expects this new system to rank in the top 10 to 15 worldwide [3]. This investment in infrastructure is intended to support a broader push for domestic adoption of the technology. Government projections suggest that AI adoption across Canadian firms will reach 60% by 2034 [4].
Solomon's remarks emphasize a desire for independence without isolation. The minister said that while the country seeks sovereignty, such independence does not mean solitude in the global tech ecosystem [1].
“"We won’t be a digital colony."”
Canada's push for digital sovereignty reflects a growing global trend of 'technological nationalism.' By targeting a top-tier supercomputer by 2031 and setting specific adoption targets, the government is attempting to move from being a consumer of AI to a primary producer. This approach seeks to mitigate the risks of data dependency on U.S.-based firms while establishing a regulatory moat around social harms like algorithmic bias.
