tech

Ottawa commits $162 million to 10,000 paid AI work placements

The Mitacs program is aimed at helping smaller Canadian organizations put AI expertise to practical use.

The Canadian

Technology

September 25, 2026

5 min read

People working beside glowing technology displays

The federal government is investing $162 million in Mitacs to create 10,000 paid artificial-intelligence placements for students and recent graduates. The program is designed to connect emerging talent with Canadian organizations that may not have their own deep technical teams.

AI Minister Evan Solomon announced the funding in Toronto, describing the initiative as both an employment program and an adoption program. The placements will focus on putting AI to work in practical settings rather than limiting experience to academic research.

Two streams, ADOPT and AI+X, will support business adoption and research-driven innovation. The program follows a commitment in Canada's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy to create up to 90,000 AI-related jobs and placements by 2031.

The challenge will be translating short-term placements into durable productivity gains. Smaller organizations will need clear projects, responsible data practices, and enough internal capacity to retain the knowledge after each placement ends.

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