Bill 61 Original (PDF)
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Bill enacts the Ontario Artificial Intelligence, Talent and Innovation Strategy Act, 2025. The major elements are set out below.
The Act requires the Government of Ontario to design, implement and maintain an artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy. The objectives of the strategy are set out in the Act.
The Act establishes an Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee that is tasked with making recommendations, advising and consulting on artificial intelligence issues. The Committee is also tasked with publishing an annual report on Ontario’s progress in achieving the objectives of the strategy.
The Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade must table the Committee’s reports in the Legislative Assembly. The Minister must also appear before a Standing Committee on an annual basis to describe Ontario’s progress in achieving the strategy’s objectives.
A committee of the Legislative Assembly must review the effectiveness of the Act every three years.
Bill 61 2025
An Act to establish an artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy for Ontario
CONTENTS
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Definitions |
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Purpose |
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Artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy |
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Advisory committee |
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Regulations |
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Review of Act |
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Commencement |
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Short title |
His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:
Definitions
1 (1) In this Act,
“artificial intelligence” means any system, software, hardware or integrated process that is trained using machine learning, algorithms or other similar methods to perform tasks or generate outputs, such as predictions, recommendations, decisions or creative content, that would ordinarily require human intelligence, cognition or judgment, including,
(a) systems based on machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, natural language processing or other computational or statistical methods,
(b) systems capable of perception, reasoning, planning, adaptation, self-optimization, autonomous decision-making or operating as an autonomous agent,
(c) emerging and advanced forms of artificial intelligence, including machine learning, generative artificial intelligence, artificial general intelligence, artificial superintelligence and other related developments or technologies designed to emulate, exceed or augment human cognitive abilities,
(d) any associated tools, data, models or computational infrastructure used to train, deploy or operate such a system, and
(e) any other prescribed system, software, hardware or integrated process; (“intelligence artificielle”)
“Minister” means the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade or such other member of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of this Act may be assigned or transferred under the Executive Council Act. (“ministre”)
Definition to be construed liberally and broadly
(2) The definition of “artificial intelligence” in subsection (1) shall be construed liberally and broadly to include any forms of artificial or machine-based intelligence that are not specifically named or defined at the time this Act comes into force.
Purpose
2 The purpose of this Act is to require the Government of Ontario to design, implement and maintain a comprehensive artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy in order to develop and grow Ontario’s economy.
Artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy
3 (1) The Government of Ontario shall design, implement, and maintain an artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy, with the goal of making Ontario a global and national leader in artificial intelligence and innovation within 10 years.
Objectives of strategy
(2) The artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy shall have the following objectives:
1. Incentivize the creation and retention of new artificial intelligence and innovation startup companies located in Ontario.
2. Incentivize the development and expansion of post-secondary incubation programs for artificial intelligence and innovation startups.
3. Develop strategies to improve economic productivity to enhance business competitiveness and provide a better quality of life and higher standard of living for all Ontario residents.
4. Encourage investments in artificial intelligence and innovation research and development at Ontario post-secondary institutions to enhance productivity.
5. Build leadership and talent pipelines by creating an environment where artificial intelligence and innovation professionals, researchers and entrepreneurs can thrive.
6. Protect the safety and privacy of Ontarians.
7. Create economic growth that benefits all Ontarians in all parts of the province and positions Ontario as a national and global leader in artificial intelligence and innovation.
8. Incentivize international and domestic investment into Ontarian artificial intelligence and innovation companies.
9. Support strategic investments in public and private infrastructure to ensure Canadian innovators, businesses and researchers have reliable access to the computing capacity required for artificial intelligence development.
10. Support the development of sovereign artificial intelligence capacity to ensure that Ontario’s data, technologies and innovation infrastructure remain under Canadian control and governance.
11. Develop strategies to increase and retain students graduating from publicly funded Ontario post-secondary educational institutions and to encourage Ontario students who have moved abroad to return to Ontario.
12. Develop and report annually on measurable targets and indicators to assess progress with respect to artificial intelligence and innovation in Ontario.
Advisory committee
4 (1) The Minister shall, no more than 90 days following the day this Act comes into force, establish an advisory committee under the name of the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee in English and Comité consultatif en matière d’intelligence artificielle in French.
Composition
(2) The Committee shall be composed of no more than 21 members appointed by the Minister.
Representation
(3) At least one person from each of the following sectors, industries and groups shall be appointed to the Committee:
1. The artificial intelligence industry.
2. Artificial intelligence safety organizations.
3. Civil liberties advocacy groups.
4. Disability rights groups.
5. The health care sector.
6. Indigenous groups.
7. Industry sectors, such as the manufacturing, agriculture and energy sectors.
8. Information privacy regulators.
9. Organized labour.
10. The post-secondary education sector.
11. Student and youth groups.
Initial report
(4) The Committee shall produce an initial report that makes recommendations on how to achieve any unmet objectives of the strategy and make it available to the public within 180 days after the Committee is established.
Other functions
(5) The Committee shall do the following:
1. Make recommendations to the Government of Ontario on how to implement the artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy, including by recommending any legislative or regulatory changes that are needed to achieve the strategy.
2. Advise the Government of Ontario on emerging artificial intelligence innovations and their relation to business development in Ontario.
3. Consult with industry, researchers, students and public stakeholders on issues affecting artificial intelligence, talent and innovation in Ontario.
4. Publish an annual report that describes Ontario’s progress in achieving the objectives of the artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy and that makes recommendations on how to achieve any unmet objectives of the strategy.
Response to recommendations
(6) The Minister shall publicly respond within 90 days after the Committee makes any recommendations in a published report and shall indicate the government’s response and the timelines for implementation.
Tabling of reports
(7) The Minister shall table every report made by the Committee within 60 days after the Minister receives the report or, if the Assembly is not in session at the end of the 60-day period, as early as possible in the next session.
Appearance before Committee
(8) The Minister shall appear before the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs annually to update the Standing Committee on Ontario’s progress in achieving the objectives of the artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy.
Regulations
5 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations prescribing additional systems, software, hardware or integrated processes for the purposes of the definition of “artificial intelligence” in subsection 1 (1).
Review of Act
6 The Minister shall ensure that a committee of the Legislative Assembly reviews this Act every three years to assess how effective the Act has been in achieving the purpose set out in section 2.
Commencement
7 This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
Short title
8 The short title of this Act is the Ontario Artificial Intelligence, Talent and Innovation Strategy Act, 2025.