Building Canada's Next Defence Advantage in the Age of AI
Canada's defence community is under pressure: cyber threats are escalating, geopolitics are unstable, and technology cycles move faster than procurement. The policy direction is clear. Our North, Strong and Free calls for modernised capabilities, stronger cyber resilience, and higher readiness. Trusted AI can help deliver all three-if it is governed from day one.
Policy must turn into capability. That requires a blueprint that moves AI from slides to secure operations without losing human judgement or Canadian sovereignty.
AI that Works with People
Speed matters. Judgement decides outcomes. The right approach lets AI process and fuse data at the pace of operations while commanders keep control of context, ethics, and mission decisions.
Keep humans in the loop for critical calls, or "on the loop" to supervise outcomes in high-tempo tasks. AI is an enabler, not a replacement.
Governance Protects Sovereignty
Governance is non-negotiable. It keeps systems and data under Canadian control, prevents external influence, and aligns technology with national priorities. In a digital battlespace, sovereignty means full decision authority and operational independence.
Good governance also improves allied interoperability while keeping Canada's interests front and centre.
Prepare for the Quantum Era
Quantum is both opportunity and risk. Future cryptographically relevant quantum computers could break today's encryption that protects communications, intelligence, and critical infrastructure. Adversaries know this-"harvest now, decrypt later" attacks are already underway.
Canada needs a plan for quantum-safe cryptography now, especially for equipment programs and supply chains that last decades. Build crypto-agility, adopt quantum-safe standards, and phase protections across air, land, sea, space, and cyber to minimise disruption and maintain interoperability. For reference, see the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography program: NIST PQC.
Mission-Specific AI, Built for Defence
Purpose-built models are already compressing planning cycles from weeks to minutes. They fuse authenticated defence intelligence with advanced analytics to deliver mission-relevant insights in real time.
These models run securely in classified, air-gapped, and edge environments. They support scenario modelling and wargaming with trusted data, accelerating decisions without losing human oversight.
Collaboration in Secure Environments
Progress happens faster when defence organisations, industry, and technologists work together in governed spaces. One example is IBM's Defence and Intelligence Centre in Ottawa-a secure setting to test advanced technologies, share expertise, and strengthen readiness while protecting sensitive data and sovereignty.
Skills Decide Success
Technology is only half the equation. People need the literacy, confidence, and rules of engagement to deploy AI responsibly. With the right skills and workflows, AI becomes a force multiplier. Without them, risk compounds.
If your team is building AI literacy by role, here's a practical starting point: AI courses by job.
A Trusted AI Blueprint for Government and Defence
- Start with governance: Define policies, risk tiers, decision rights, accountability, and audit from day one. Bake in model lifecycle controls, testing, and explainability.
- Protect sovereignty: Set data residency, classification, access controls, and supply-chain assurance. Keep decision authority and critical systems under Canadian control.
- Prioritise mission-specific models: Use verified defence intelligence, modular architectures, and deployment options that work in classified, air-gapped, and edge environments.
- Keep humans in/on the loop: Codify which decisions require human approval, and where supervision is enough. Train commanders on AI limits and escalation paths.
- Engineer for security: Secure MLOps, vulnerability management, model red-teaming, adversarial testing, and tamper-evident logging. Treat AI supply chains like any other critical asset.
- Get quantum-ready: Inventory cryptography, build crypto-agility, and plan a phased move to quantum-safe algorithms across platforms and partners.
- Invest in people: Build AI literacy for operators, analysts, and leaders. Embed governance into SOPs and exercises. Reward teams that pair innovation with accountability.
- Prove interoperability: Test with allies, align to shared standards, and validate performance in realistic scenarios before scaling.
Where to Begin
Pick one priority mission and run a governed pilot. Use real constraints, real data, and a clear outcome (e.g., cut planning time, improve detection, reduce false positives). Measure impact, document risks, and scale what works.
Canada has the opportunity to lead with trusted, mission-specific AI and quantum-safe protections. Done right, it will lift readiness, speed decisions, strengthen cyber resilience, and safeguard sovereignty-keeping Canada strong, secure, and ready for what's next.
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