Canada

• 2026-10-02:The Prime Minister launched a National Council on Artificial Intelligenceto advise on the evolution of "AI for All" (advisory only).
• 2026-09-23:The federal AI-transparency consultation (opened 2026-07-23) closed; this entry was carried over and not re-sourced in the latest run.
• Bill C-34remains at second reading.What to watch:progress to committee stage, and any OPC follow-up on the Grok findings.

No new binding instrument was found for 2026-10-07 to 2026-10-10. That result is limited by search coverage and is not proof that nothing happened.

Canada has no federal AI statute. The Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA), which formed part of Bill C-27, died when Parliament was prorogued on 2025-01-06 and has not been revived. The main instruments today are:

• Privacy law.The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)and Québec's Law 25 apply to AI systems that process personal information. This is where most enforcement against AI developers has occurred.
• Directive on Automated Decision-Making(TBS).A binding federal policy for government use of automated decision systems, covering algorithmic impact assessments, notice and explanation, and human involvement.
• National AI Strategy"AI for All" (June 2026).A non-binding policy framework; the exact launch date is unconfirmed.
• Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act(proposed).Introduced 2026-06-10 and now at second reading in the House of Commons. It is the first federal bill to impose statutory duties on AI chatbot services.
• Bill C-15, Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1(proposed).Would allow the Governor in Council to make PIPEDA data-mobility regulations.

Canada uses a distributed model rather than a single AI law: a national strategy and advisory council, targeted bills, and enforcement of existing privacy law. Binding obligations today come mainly from privacy statutes, which apply whenever an AI system handles personal information, and from the federal Directive on Automated Decision-Making, which governs how federal institutions deploy automated systems.

The OPC has affirmed its reach over US-based AI developers that process the personal information of people in Canada. In the justice sector, Québec's courts published common guidelines on judges' use of generative AI on 2026-09-04 and 2026-09-05.

Privacy compliance is the practical enforcement route for AI in Canada. Recent findings show how regulators are applying existing law to AI developers:

• OpenAI.Joint findings by the OPC, the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec and the British Columbia and Alberta commissioners (PIPEDA Findings #2026-002, 2026-05-06): well-founded and conditionally resolved.
• X Corp. / xAI (Grok).OPC findings(#2026-004, 2026-06-11): well-founded and not resolved; the matter remains under monitoring.
• Federal institutions.Systems must meet the Directive on Automated Decision-Making. The grace period for systems that pre-date the Directive's 2025 update expired on 2026-06-24.

Caveats.The primary text of Alberta's Data Centre Regulation (Alta Reg 117/2026) was not retrieved and needs confirmation. The penalty provisions of Bill C-15were not checked against the bill text, and a vendor claim of fines of C$25 million or 5% of revenue is unverified. This is research assistance, not legal advice.