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CANADIAN AI
NOTE: This course content was last updated in October 2025.
We currently do not have capacity to keep the content up-to-date. If you'd like to own or contribute to this effort, please contact Kathrin Gardhouse on the AIGS Slack, if you already are an AIGS volunteer, and else please sign up to volunteer first. Find out more about volunteering at AIGS.
MISSION
MISSION
This self-paced course prepares participants to join the conversation among Canadian policymakers on AI governance. Our mission is to empower early-career policy professionals, or those new to AI policy, to contribute to AIGS’s goal of making advanced AI safe for all and prevent catastrophic harm from materialising.
AI technologies are rapidly advancing, bringing both transformative benefits and unprecedented risks. While early systems raised concerns about bias and discrimination, today’s general-purpose AI models are disrupting industries, amplifying misinformation, and creating new challenges for privacy, security, and public trust. Looking ahead, advanced AI may exceed human capabilities in critical areas like decision-making and scientific research, raising the stakes for global safety and societal stability. Effective governance is essential to steer AI development toward positive outcomes, prevent catastrophic misuse or accidents, and ensure these powerful systems serve the public good. Canada has a unique opportunity to lead in this space—by investing in safety, regulation, and international collaboration—before the next wave of AI arrives.
For more details on the mission, see AIGS’s White Paper.
IS THIS COURSE FOR YOU?
IS THIS COURSE FOR YOU?
There is a good chance that it is, since you found your way here!
Who we had in mind when designing this course:
People who are highly motivated to ensure advanced AI is safe and beneficial for all
People with basic familiarity with the fundamentals of the transformational impacts and potentially catastrophic risks of smarter than human AI
People thinking about a career in Canada, such as direct work in politics, advocacy, the civil service, think tanks, and research at the intersection of AI and public policy.
Prerequisites:
We recommend that you take BlueDot Impact's AI Governance Fundamentals course first, either with a cohort or on your own. Our course materials assume this level of familiarity with the topics we discuss.
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
UNIT 1: Canada's Role in Global AI Governance
UNIT 1: Canada's Role in Global AI Governance
AI governance challenges, the role of middle powers, and why Canada matters in the global context
UNIT 2: Theories of Change in Policymaking
UNIT 2: Theories of Change in Policymaking
Insider and outsider strategies for shaping AI policy, their connection to international and national frameworks, and how today’s policy landscape influences their effectiveness.
UNIT 3: The Canadian AI Ecosystem
UNIT 3: The Canadian AI Ecosystem
The landscape of the Canadian AI ecosystem and the key stakeholders involved in shaping AI policy.
UNIT 4: Technical Implementation of AI Policy
UNIT 4: Technical Implementation of AI Policy
The interplay of AI policy and technical AI governance.
UNIT 5: Canadian AI Policy So Far and Current Efforts
UNIT 5: Canadian AI Policy So Far and Current Efforts
Pre-2025 AI governance measures, Canada's current efforts, and what we expect in the future.
UNIT 6: Developing Approaches for AI Governance for Canada
UNIT 6: Developing Approaches for AI Governance for Canada
Overview of proposed paths forward for Canada on AI Policy & next steps for you to take
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