Canada, the First Country to Establish a National AI Strategy in 2017
'Father of Deep Learning' Professor Hinton Leads AI Ecosystem Development
With the boom of generative artificial intelligence (AI) sparked by ChatGPT, attention is pouring into Toronto, Canada, almost as much as Silicon Valley, the global IT industry hub. This is because Toronto is rapidly growing into a core AI city by actively attracting startups that develop related technologies, starting from AI research.
On the 8th (local time), Bloomberg reported, "Toronto is competing with Silicon Valley to become a hub for AI startups," adding, "Canada's long-term investment in AI technology development is expected to succeed."
The AI research institute 'Vector Institute' in Toronto, Canada, is shown hosting an event last June. (Photo by Vector Institute SNS)
Canada was the first country in the world to establish a national strategy related to AI in 2017. It has been working to secure talent related to AI in Toronto by utilizing immigration policies and other measures to develop AI technology.
A representative figure is Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, known as the godfather of AI and the "father of deep learning." Born in the UK, he has been researching AI since 1972 when he was in the doctoral program at the University of Edinburgh. After first taking a professorship at the University of Toronto in 1987, he has played a key role in building Toronto's AI capabilities since becoming an emeritus professor there in 2014.
Professor Hinton accelerated AI-related research but faced difficulties in developing commercial AI technologies based on these research results. Feeling the need for a nonprofit organization focused on AI research, he established the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Toronto in 2017, which provides AI education, connects AI industry partnerships with private and public sectors, and supports startups.
According to a report jointly prepared by the Vector Institute and consulting firm Deloitte, during the 2022 fiscal year (April 2021 to March 2022) in Ontario, Canada, where Toronto is located, venture capital (VC) investment reached $2.86 billion, a 206% increase from the previous year, and AI-related jobs increased by 210%, creating 22,458 positions.
Jordan Jacobs, co-founder of Toronto-based venture fund Radical Ventures, said, "Ten years ago, people wanted to leave Toronto," adding, "Now, the situation has reversed. Experienced AI talent stays here to start companies or join companies in this area." Jacobs invests in AI semiconductor design companies and startups related to autonomous driving technologies.
The AI boom is also revitalizing Silicon Valley, which had been facing a chill due to recession concerns. According to PitchBook, a U.S. startup market research firm, AI startups attracted $11 billion in investment in May alone, an 86% increase compared to the previous year. The Washington Post reported that this has triggered an "AI gold rush," with investments centered around Silicon Valley VCs.
Besides startups, Toronto is also home to AI research centers of global companies. Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, NVIDIA, Google, and Johnson & Johnson all have AI research centers in Toronto.
Ajay Agrawal, a professor at the University of Toronto, said, "We are on the verge of a comprehensive overhaul of the entire economy. Every major city wants to be dominant in this transition," adding, "Toronto is an important competitor." He emphasized, "The fact that global companies unrelated to Toronto have chosen Toronto itself is a strong signal that this city is an AI hub."
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