Feds partner with Canadian firm to accelerate AI use in public service
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The Government of Canada has partnered with Cohere, a Canadian AI firm, to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence in the public service.
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In a joint statement published Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the federal government has signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Cohere and the United Kingdom to 'deepen and explore new collaborations on frontier AI systems to support our national security.'
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The statement also said Cohere will build data centres across Canada and expand its presence in the U.K. to support the the country's AI Opportunities Action Plan.
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'The government of Canada has been working closely with Cohere, one of Canada's — and one of the world's — leading AI companies,' Carney said at a pooled press event Sunday with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
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'We're absolutely thrilled that a partnership is developing between the United Kingdom and Cohere … The U.K. — and Canada, we like to say as well — have been one of the pioneers in not just AI development, but also the safety and security of the applications of AI, to really realize the full potential. And we're deepening the collaboration between Canada's AI Safety Institute and the new U.K. Security Institute, and this is going to help to realize the full potential for all our citizens.'
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Aidan Gomez, Cohere's CEO, said the company will work on accelerating the adoption of AI into the public sector. The CEO has been participating in discussions with Carney and Starmer, including promises to make government more productive and efficient, according to a company blog post.
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'We're super excited to be partnering with both governments … Cohere is excited to strengthen the innovation of both of our countries, as well as the sovereignty. Thank you for your partnership, and your support,' Gomez said at Sunday's event.
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Details still unclear
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