On September 18, 2025, the Lawrence National Centre for Policy & Management hosted the 2025 AI Symposium, Building a Stronger Economy: How can Canada be a Global Leader in AI Adoption?, at the Arcadian Loft in Toronto. The sold-out event convened over 120 leaders from business, government, and academia to examine how Canada can accelerate responsible AI adoption and strengthen its competitiveness in a rapidly shifting global landscape.
As Canada navigates a period defined by technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, and evolving investment priorities, the need for a coordinated national strategy has never been greater. Discussions explored how Canada can scale AI adoption across sectors by investing in sovereign infrastructure, bridging adoption gaps for firms, and fostering cross-sector partnerships. Sessions examined the role of government as both regulator and adopter, the opportunities and risks of platform-led adoption, and the importance of ecosystems that connect telecoms, hardware enablers, AI platforms, and policy frameworks.
Key Discussion Themes
- Global trends in AI applications across industries and sectors
- Implications of shifting geopolitical dynamics for Canada’s AI competitiveness
- Sector-specific opportunities and barriers to scaling AI adoption, from large corporations to SMEs, including emerging best practices
- Strengthening AI capabilities through targeted public and private investments in compute, data, and digital infrastructure
- The role of industrial strategy, regulation, and procurement in accelerating responsible AI deployment
- Enhancing coordination between government and industry to secure Canada’s long-term advantage in AI
Through a series of interwoven dialogues, the symposium surfaced actionable insights and generated policy and industry recommendations aimed at mobilizing coordinated action among business, government, and other key stakeholders.
The stakes are high. Without bold leadership and strategic alignment, Canada risks falling behind as other nations embed AI at the core of their economic and industrial strategies—reshaping how they innovate, produce, and compete on the global stage.
2025 AI Symposium Photo Gallery
Stay tuned for a summary of insights and recommendations in the coming weeks.
In the Media
Financial Post | U.S. tariffs 'greatest intentional destruction of income ever': Stephen Poloz
The Logic | Canadian businesses need a little motivation to adopt AI, executives say
Stephen Poloz
Former Governor, Bank of Canada; Chair, LNC Advisory Council
Julian Birkinshaw
Dean, Ivey Business School
Nicole Haggerty
Associate Dean & Professor, Information Systems
John Watson
Group President, Business Markets, AI and Ateko, Bell Canada
Kara Beckles
Executive Director, Privacy and Responsible Data, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Muhammad Mamdani
VP, Data Science and Analytics, Unity Health; Faculty, The Vector Institute
Alyza Keshavjee
Head of Consumer Insights & Executive Experiences, Google; LNC Advisory Council
Michael Pelosi
Country Manager, Canada, Cohere
Tania Leppert
Chief Technology Officer, Ericsson Canada Inc.
Kristin Milchanowski
Chief AI & Data Officer, BMO Financial Group
Lauren Steinberg
Executive Vice President & Chief Digital Officer, Loblaw Companies
Dev Saxena
Senior Advisor, OpenAI; Director, Eurasia Group
Jaime Tatis
Senior Vice-President & Chief AI Officer, TELUS Chief Information Office
Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia
Senior Director, Digital Economy, Technology and Innovation, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Giles Gherson
President and Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Region Board of Trade
Sohayla Praysner
Independent Advisor and Former Country Manager, Intelsat
Mark Schaan
Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Artificial Intelligence); ISED
Jenny Yang
Partner, RiSC Capital & Senior Advisory, MaRS
Salim Teja
Partner, Radical Ventures; LNC Industry Champion (AI)
Mahmood Nanji
Power Corporation of Canada Policy Fellow, LNC
Romel Mostafa
Professor & Director, LNC
With generous support from:
Power Corporation of Canada
Jack Lawrence Family
Mitchell and Kathryn Baran Family Foundation
About Lawrence National Centre for Policy & Management
The only leading policy think tank housed within a top Canadian business school, the Lawrence National Centre (LNC) engages governments, businesses, academia and communities to advocate for sound policy that will ensure a powerful future for Canada. Its evidence-based policy research, education and outreach programs focuses on critical issues on innovation, human capital and trade that are fundamental to unlocking Canada’s competitive advantage on the global stage.