‘He comes from our side’: Writers’ Union CEO calls Solomon an AI ‘cheerleader,’ asks him to slow down strategy

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Minister Evan Solomon needs to pump the brakes on his AI strategy and provide more support to the creative industry, says Writers’ Union of Canada CEO John Degen. Speaking to The Wire Report at an event hosted by the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE) on ‘Valuing Human Creativity in the Age of AI,’ Degen says he thinks Solomon is in too much of a rush to table his AI strategy. The CDCE event, hosted at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on Feb. 11, was planned in the lead up to the National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture, which will be held in Banff next month. The summit aims to “shape a shared vision for the future of culture in the age of artificial intelligence.” But Solomon (Toronto Centre, Ont.) has previously said he expects to table his new strategy in the first quarter of 2026, meaning it could be announced before the summit’s consultations. “I wish he would be a little less impatient,” Degen said when asked if he thinks the timing of the summit will have any impact on the minister’s strategy. Degen says he feels that impatience is a common theme around the world. “Lawmakers are all panicking a little bit,” he says. “And what they want is that phrase that comes up all the time — ‘sovereign AI.’ They don’t want to miss out on the investment potential for their countries.” It’s been nine months since Solomon was appointed to his position and he has yet to table any legislation. Given the funding numbers coming out of the U.S., Degen thinks Canada has already missed out on the first wave of investments. “They’re the kings, at this point,” he says. Earlier this month, in a fourth quarter results investors call, Alphabet Inc. and Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the company’s 2026 capital expenditure investments in AI are anticipated to be in the range of $175 to $185 billion. Pichai did not specify how much of those investments will be in the U.S. But that’s just one U.S.-based tech company. In Budget 2025, the Canadian government proposed $925.6 million over five years to establish “large-scale sovereign public AI infrastructure that will boost AI compute availability.” Of that funding, $800 million comes from leftover funds previously allocated in Budget 2024. Ottawa also proposed $25 million over six years to Statistics Canada to implement an Artificial Intelligence and Technology Measurement Program. Because the first wave has passed by without Canada in tow, Degen says, Solomon does not need to be “acting from fear” while developing his strategy. “What we have to do is figure out phase two,” he says. “And I think we have time.” Degen says phase two should be focused on regulation, making the country’s AI landscape “truly Canadian,” and lifting up the creative industry. He says it is clear there is profit to be made in the technology sector, but that lawmakers need to encourage directing some of that profit towards AI’s “suppliers.” “We’re their suppliers. They use our work,” he says. “Pay your suppliers, spread the profit around, and be good corporate citizens. He argues that Solomon has heavily championed the technology, which can be a frosty topic for many folks in the cultural sector. “Solomon’s a bit of a cheerleader for the technology. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. But I’d like to see him be a cheerleader for us, as well. I’d like him to be a cheerleader for Canadian creativity,” he says, adding that as a former journalist, Solomon “comes from our side.” In October, OpenMedia criticized Solomon, arguing he has an “innovate first, regulate later” strategy. The Carney government has also been criticized for being “very bullish” on AI, as reported by The Canadian Press. Degen emphasized that between timber, oil, mining, and critical minerals, Canada is a resource-based economy. As for our creativity? That’s just another resource in Canada’s pocket, Degen says. He says there is huge potential for AI in science and medical research, but the technology does not need to overhaul the cultural industry and put that creativity in jeopardy. “Why would we want to give that away?” However, Degen is not worried that AI will reach the professional level required to replace creatives, at least not during his lifetime. “There is something very basic about what we do,” he says. “I don’t see a whole lot of tools coming down the pipe from AI to help us with that.” mcollins@thewirereport.ca

‘He comes from our side’: Writers’ Union CEO calls Solomon an AI ‘cheerleader,’ asks him to slow down strategy

Regulatory |
By Maria Collins
|February 18, 2026

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‘He comes from our side’: Writers’ Union CEO calls Solomon an AI ‘cheerleader,’ asks him to slow down strategy

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