By Dave Branco

Literacy not enough, UNBC AI prof says

Jun 9, 2026 | 3:01 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Canada has a new national artificial intelligence strategy, but it is already facing criticism from academics and Opposition politicians who say there is still much work to do.

Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced AI for All this last week in Toronto. The five-year plan aims for $200 billion in economic growth, 250,000 new AI-related jobs, and an increase in AI adoption from about 12 percent now to 60 percent by 2034. The strategy focuses on three main goals: building trust, creating opportunity, and strengthening Canadian sovereignty.

Dr. Ben Daniel, an artificial intelligence professor at the University of Northern British Columbia, welcomes the plan’s focus on AI literacy but says it does not go far enough. He believes Canadians need more than just the ability to use AI tools. They should have real competence, meaning they can understand and benefit from the technology, not just get by with it.

He also questioned how the strategy addresses sovereignty, which is complex and not clearly defined, particularly for those without access to data in isolated northern BC communities.

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Daniel was clear about access. AI for All should include every Canadian, even those in communities that still lack reliable access to technology. He said that if these gaps are not addressed, only some Canadians will benefit from the strategy.

In the B.C. In the Legislature, Opposition MLA Gavin Dew raised another concern. British Columbia does not have its own provincial AI strategy. Dew, the Conservative critic for AI and economic development, said the province’s minister of state for AI has been in the role for eight months but has not produced a report, a plan, or any clear direction.

Dew said the federal strategy should provide the regulatory framework. However, he argued that each province needs to create its own plan by identifying its strengths, opportunities, and gaps, instead of waiting for Ottawa to decide what AI should mean for B.C.

by Dave Branco

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Literacy not enough, UNBC AI prof says

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