Quebec has established itself as a major player in artificial intelligence, ranking 7th globally in the Tortoise Global AI Index. The province has built an impressive AI ecosystem featuring over 200 startups, 2,000 companies, and tens of thousands of professionals, representing remarkable growth from virtually nothing just a few years ago.
The article explores how generative AI tools like ChatGPT have transformed the technology landscape, reaching 123 million users in just two months and sparking intense competition among tech giants including Microsoft, Google, and Meta. These AI systems, powered by neural networks and massive datasets, are revolutionizing how we interact with information and could replace up to 85 million jobs while creating 97 million new ones by 2025.
However, challenges persist for Quebec’s AI sector. The province faces operational hurdles including slow processing for skilled worker visas and insufficient computing infrastructure for large-scale data processing. Additionally, many AI projects funded through Quebec’s $1.17 billion investment have been acquired by external companies, highlighting the need for stronger retention strategies to maintain local innovation capacity.
Source: L’Action nationale – Les enjeux de l’intelligence artificielle pour le Québec