In 2025, the global race for artificial intelligence (AI) dominance is no longer theoretical, it’s a high-stakes competition shaping the next century of economic power, national security, and technological sovereignty. While Canada has long been celebrated as a pioneer in AI research, its current pace of investment risks falling dangerously behind. The time has come for Canada to set an ambitious, measurable goal: attract at least $50 billion in AI investment over the next five years. Anything less is a concession of leadership in the most consequential technology of our time.

India Just Secured $20 Billion from Google. Why Can’t We?

In a stunning move, Google announced a $15 billion USD investment to build its largest AI hub outside the United States, in Visakhapatnam, India. This includes a gigawatt-scale data center, subsea cable infrastructure, and massive compute capacity. Add in complementary investments from Adani Group and Bharti Airtel, and India’s AI infrastructure play easily crosses the $20 billion USD threshold.

This isn’t just a tech story, it’s a geopolitical one. India is signaling to the world that it intends to be a global AI superpower. It’s offering land, power, talent, and policy certainty. And it’s doing so with the full weight of its federal and state governments aligned behind a singular vision.

Canada, by contrast, has made commendable but modest moves. The federal government’s $240 million CAD investment in Cohere, the $98.6 million CAD in Scale AI projects, and Radical Ventures’ $907 million CAD fundraise are all positive signals. But they add up to just over $1.25 billion CAD, a fraction of what’s needed to compete globally.

The Case for a $20 Billion Target
Setting a national target of $20 billion CAD in AI investment is not just aspirational, it’s essential. Here’s why:

- Global Talent Magnetism: Canada’s immigration system is already a competitive advantage. But talent follows opportunity. Without large-scale AI infrastructure and capital, we risk losing top researchers and engineers to the U.S., Europe, or now, India.
- Compute Sovereignty: AI innovation depends on access to high-performance compute. If Canada doesn’t build its own sovereign compute capacity, we’ll be forever dependent on foreign cloud providers—and vulnerable to geopolitical shocks.
- Economic Multiplier: Every dollar invested in AI infrastructure and startups generates exponential returns in productivity, IP creation, and job growth. A $20 billion investment could catalyze $100 billion+ in economic output over the next decade.
- National Security: AI is now a dual-use technology. From cybersecurity to Arctic surveillance, Canada’s defense and intelligence capabilities depend on domestic AI innovation.
Provinces Must Step Up, With Tax Breaks for Foreign Firms
While federal leadership is critical, provinces hold the key to unlocking foreign direct investment (FDI). India’s success wasn’t just about Delhi, it was about Andhra Pradesh offering land, power subsidies, and streamlined approvals.
Canadian provinces must do the same. Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia should compete to attract global AI firms by offering:
- Targeted tax incentives for AI infrastructure, R&D, and talent development
- Fast-track permitting for data centers and compute clusters
- Land grants or lease subsidies in tech corridors
- Power cost guarantees for energy-intensive AI workloads
This isn’t a race to the bottom, it’s a race to the future. The province that lands the next Google-scale AI hub will reap decades of economic and strategic dividends.

What’s at Stake: Canada’s Place in the AI Century
Canada has the ingredients: world-class researchers, a strong startup ecosystem, and a reputation for trust and ethics in AI. But we lack scale. We lack urgency. And we lack a unified national ambition.
India’s $20 billion moment should be a wake-up call. If we don’t act now, we risk becoming a boutique player in a game dominated by giants.
Let’s flip the script. Let’s set a bold target: $50 billion CAD in AI investment by 2030. Let’s align federal and provincial incentives. Let’s make Canada the best place in the world to build, scale, and govern AI.
Because in the AI century, you’re either building the future, or buying it from someone else.