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.
Recordings of Key Symposium Sessions
Managing Uncertainty: The Best Defense is a Good Offense
Stephen Poloz, Chair of LNC Advisory Council & former Governor of Bank of Canada
As the global economy enters a new phase of technological disruption, Stephen Poloz reflected on the lessons of past industrial shifts to frame the path ahead. “We are now entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution—the digitalization of every aspect of our lives and the integration of artificial intelligence,” he noted, describing how this transformation is reshaping productivity and growth worldwide. He emphasized that Canada can build resilience by boosting productivity, removing internal trade barriers, and accelerating technology adoption amid rising protectionism and uncertainty.
Industry Experiences with AI Adoption: Opportunities, Challenges, and Best Practices
Muhammad Mamdani, VP Data Science and Analytics, Unity Health; Faculty Affiliate, Vector Institute
Kristin Milchanowski, Chief AI and Data Officer, BMO Financial Group
Lauren Steinberg, EVP and Chief Digital Officer, Loblaw Companies Ltd.
Jenny Yang, Partner, RiSC Capital, Senior Advisor, MaRS Discovery District (Moderator)
Industry experts shared practical insights on what successful AI adoption looks like across health care, finance, and retail. While they acknowledged that many projects fail to scale, each emphasized that success depends on measurable outcomes, co-building with end users, and strong infrastructure.
Fireside Chat on Enabling Businesses to Adopt AI Using Platforms
Alyza Keshavjee, Head of Consumer Insights and Executive Experiences, Google Canada, and LNC Advisory Council Member
Michael Pelosi, Canada Country Manager, Cohere
Giles Gherson, President and CEO, Toronto Board of Trade (Moderator)
This conversation examined how AI platforms can help businesses scale adoption and boost productivity across Canada. Speakers emphasized the need to bridge the gap between individual and enterprise use, showing how accessible, well-integrated platforms can empower small businesses, build trust, and accelerate digital transformation.
Fireside Chat on Government as an Enabler and Adopter of AI
Kara Beckles, Executive Director, Privacy and Responsible Data, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Mark Schaan, Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (AI), Industry, Science and Economic Development (ISED)
Mahmood Nanji, Power Corporation of Canada Policy Fellow, LNC, Ivey Business School (Moderator)
Focusing on leadership and implementation, the panel explored how government can accelerate AI adoption across Canada. Speakers emphasized shifting from regulation toward investment, procurement, and internal modernization strategies that strengthen public services. They underscored the importance of data readiness, literacy, and risk management to enable responsible deployment at scale.
Fireside Chat on Building AI Infrastructure: Sovereignty, Security, and Scale
Tania Leppert, Chief Technology Officer, Ericsson Canada
Jaime Tatis, Senior Vice-President and Chief AI Officer, TELUS
Sohayla Praysner, Former Country Manager, Intelsat (Moderator)
Focusing on Canada’s digital future, this session examined what digital sovereignty means in practice—from data governance and cloud ownership to the infrastructure enabling secure AI adoption. Panelists emphasized Canada’s need for homegrown compute capacity, clean and well-governed data, and long-term planning for 5G and energy systems.
Dialogue on Bridging AI Infrastructure and Adoption: Strategies, Partnerships, and Ecosystems
John Watson, Group President, Bell Canada Enterprises Inc.
Nicole Haggerty, Associate Dean of Faculty, Ivey Business School (Moderator)
Strengthening Canada’s AI competitiveness requires coordinated investment and leadership. The discussion focused on how enterprises and policymakers can align around shared goals—developing sovereign infrastructure, enabling data modernization, and fostering the conditions for sustainable, homegrown innovation.
Synthesizing Lessons, Actionable Policies, and Next Steps
Julian Birkinshaw, Dean, Ivey Business School (Panel Chair)
Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia, Senior Director, Digital Economy, Technology and Innovation, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Mark Schaan, Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (AI), ISED Canada
Salim Teja, Partner, Radical Ventures; LNC AI Champion
The closing conversation brought together voices from across the day to reflect on how Canada can turn ideas into action on AI. Panelists spoke candidly about the need to work together across government, business, and education, and to see progress in how people are actually using these tools. They also explored the balance between innovation and job disruption, the urgency of digital literacy, and the value of taking small, steady steps forward rather than waiting for perfect plans.
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.