The Financial Post reports in its Friday edition that Canada's first minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation, Evan Solomon, has been tasked with expediting Canada's artificial intelligence infrastructure and building public trust in the technology. The Post's Yvonne Lau writes that Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized the importance of AI for Canada's competitiveness and productivity. Industry leaders warn that Mr. Solomon faces significant challenges, as AI advancements are rapid and Canada's global AI rankings have declined. "We were one of the first countries to come out with an AI policy road map in 2017. But Canada's leadership position has slipped away in the last few years," said Wisrai's Rob Goehring. In 2021, Canada ranked fourth on the Global AI Index but fell to eighth by 2024, behind Germany, France and South Korea. Mr. Carney has committed to advancing the Trudeau government's AI initiatives, keeping a pledge of $2.5-billion over two years for AI and digital infrastructure projects, including data centres and cloud computing. The full scope of what Mr. Solomon and the government will add to that strategy has yet to be revealed, but industry players say the need for urgency is essential.