The Canadian government has pledged a considerable $2.4 billion investment aimed at bolstering the country's AI industry.

$50 million of this investment is earmarked for a skills retraining program targeting workers displaced by AI advancements over a four-year period.

The initiative anticipates AI's wide-reaching impact on the workforce, with an estimated 40% of working hours likely to be affected, spanning sectors from creative industries to white-collar professions.

The retraining efforts will initially concentrate on the creative sectors, yet they are planned to extend support to a broader range of jobs and industries.

Industry leaders, like Cam Linke of the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, view the investment as a strategic move to sustain Canada's edge in the global AI landscape.

Some critics voice concerns that the $50 million allocated for retraining might fall short of meeting the needs posed by the AI-driven employment shift, suggesting the necessity for additional measures, including universal basic income and financial input from AI firms.

An upcoming AI summit, Upper Bound, is scheduled for May to discuss the ongoing and future implications of AI on the labor market and society.