Canada’s first Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation will take the stage at Web Summit Vancouver next week for a high-profile conversation on the country’s AI ambitions.
The Honourable Evan Solomon is scheduled to speak on Opening Night of Web Summit Vancouver 2026 on Monday, May 11, at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Solomon will appear alongside Joelle Pineau, Chief AI Officer at Cohere, for a panel titled “AI for All: Canada’s AI Moment.” The discussion will focus on Canada’s AI ecosystem, responsible adoption, talent, sovereign capacity, global partnerships, and the future of trusted technology.
The appearance comes as Canada advances its AI for All strategy, which is focused on ensuring Canadians can benefit from artificial intelligence while strengthening the country’s ability to build, adopt, and govern the technology domestically.
Solomon was sworn in by Prime Minister Mark Carney in May 2025 as Canada’s first Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation. His mandate includes positioning AI and other emerging technologies as drivers of Canada’s next chapter of economic growth.
That work includes supporting Canadian companies, strengthening sovereign digital and AI capacity, accelerating responsible adoption across the economy, and helping establish rules and frameworks for a fast-moving technology.
Joining Solomon on stage will be Pineau, one of Canada’s most prominent AI leaders. She serves as Chief AI Officer at Cohere, the Canadian-founded enterprise AI company established in 2019.
Backed by investors and strategic partners including Nvidia, AMD, and Salesforce, Cohere has become one of Canada’s most closely watched AI companies. The company reached $240 million in annual recurring revenue in 2025 as it positions itself for a potential IPO and competes globally with firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
Their conversation will be among the highlights of Opening Night at the second edition of Web Summit Vancouver, which runs May 11 to 14.
Organizers say this year’s event will bring together more than 20,000 founders, startups, investors, media, and policymakers, up from 15,000 attendees at the inaugural Vancouver edition in 2025.
Web Summit Vancouver is also expected to draw a record 1,500 startups from around the world, along with more than 700 investors and partners from funds including Andreessen Horowitz, Benchmark, and Khosla Ventures.
Solomon and Pineau will join a broader lineup of Canadian political leaders at the event, including British Columbia Premier David Eby, B.C. Minister of Finance Brenda Bailey, and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.
Together, they are expected to frame Canada’s growing technology economy at a moment when artificial intelligence, digital sovereignty, and geopolitical uncertainty are increasingly shaping the global innovation agenda.
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