Ottawa names frontier AI a top threat in its first security strategy in two decades

Prime Minister Mark Carney's government released a national security plan that puts advanced AI alongside war, espionage and foreign interference Canada has a new national security strategy, its first in more than 20 years. One of the biggest threats it names is software. Federal officials said frontier AI models could be among the greatest threats Canadians face today. That puts them on the same list as war, hackers, espionage, sabotage and foreign interference. What the strategy actually says Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government released the document on Thursday, October 29, 2026. It is titled “The Plan for a Stronger Canada.” It runs to more than 13 pages. The scope is broad. The strategy covers war, artificial intelligence, cyberattacks, espionage, sabotage, foreign interference and climate change. It also commits to a whole-of-government approach on sovereignty and public safety. The strategy describes frontier AI as potentially “one of the greatest threats facing Canadians today.” The concern is about speed and reach. Officials argue that the most advanced AI models can boost existing cyber threats. They could let adversaries find and exploit weaknesses faster and at a lar...