S6 Ep. 04: Building Canada’s AI Advantage

About this episode

In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, we explore what it will take for Canada to build and sustain a competitive edge in artificial intelligence. Host Jeremy Strachan speaks with three experts who each bring a different perspective on the opportunities and risks shaping Canada’s AI future. We begin with Aaron Rodericks, Head of Trust and Security at Bluesky, who offers a candid assessment of the global AI race—highlighting Canada’s position relative to major players, the realities of market concentration, and the emerging cybersecurity risks tied to rapidly advancing models. Next, Jaxson Khan, Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs joins the podcast to unpack the concept of AI sovereignty, outlining what it means in practice across the AI stack and what structural and cultural shifts are needed for Canada to build, adopt, and retain AI capacity. Finally, CIFAR AI Chair at the University of Alberta Blair Attard-Frost reflects on Canada’s newly released AI strategy, emphasizing the importance of public trust, social research, and a broader cultural shift in how we approach innovation, governance, and talent retention. Together, this conversation explores what it will take not only to compete in the global AI landscape—but to do so in a way that is secure, sovereign, and socially grounded. 

Guests 

Aaron Rodericks, Head of Trust and Security, Bluesky 

Jaxson Khan, Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs 

Blair Attard-Frost, CIFAR AI Chair and Assistant Professor, University of Alberta 

Host 

Jeremy Strachan, Manager, Education & Skills, Signal49 Research 

Links 

Future Skills Centre Homepage: https://fsc-ccf.ca/ 

Future Skills Centre LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fsc-ccf 

Future Skills Centre Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fsc-ccf.bsky.social 

Signal49 Research Homepage: https://www.signal49.ca/ 

Signal49 Research Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Signal49Research 

Signal49 Research X: https://x.com/S49Research 

Conference Board of Canada, The. Canada’s Workforce in Transition: How AI Is Shaping the Future of Work. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2026. English | French 

Signal49 Research: AI and Entry Level Demand. Ottawa: Signal49 Research, 2026. English | French 

Government of Canada. Canada’s National AI Strategy: AI for All. Ottawa: Government of Canada. English | French 

Mullen, Sean, and Jaxson Khan. Sovereign By Design: Strategic Options for Canadian AI Sovereignty. Toronto: Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, 2026. English | French  

Loertscher, Oliver. Going All in on Automation: Economic Growth, Labour Markets, and the Path Toward a Robust Transition. Ottawa: Signal49 Research, 2026. English | French.