Fresh off his election victory, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been focused on standing up to Donald Trump’s claims on Canada as the 51st state and American tariffs. But while that political drama unfolds, one topic that seems to have quietly slipped under the radar is the rise of artificial intelligence.

Despite its transformative impact on everything from jobs to national security, AI received surprisingly little attention during the campaign and in the first weeks following Carney’s victory. The consequences of that lack of attention are already starting to show, as emissions and electricity costs continue unabated without a clear vision of where AI fits in.

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Although Carney has appointed former journalist Evan Solomon as Canada’s first-ever AI minister, it’s not yet clear what action the Liberal government plans to take on AI.

The Liberals’ “Canada Strong” plan outlining the prime minister’s proposals is scarce on details. Still, it provides some clues on how the Liberals see AI and what they believe it offers to the Canadian economy — and also what they seem to have misunderstood.

First, the plan includes some robust initiatives for improving Canada’s digital infrastructure, which lags behind other leading countries, especially in terms of rural broadband and reliable cell service.

To accomplish these goals, the........

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