Replace, Reimagine, Recombine: Building an Artificial Intelligence Nation.

This article focuses on the 3R framework—replace, reimagine, and recombine—as a tool to understand how general-purpose technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) transform economies and societies over time. Drawing on historical examples such as electricity and computing, it argues that the greatest economic benefits of AI will come not from merely replacing existing technologies but from reimagining processes, business models, and industries around AI. The article highlights Canada's productivity challenges and emphasizes that to thrive in the AI-driven intangible economy, Canada must shift from focusing primarily on AI research and infrastructure to fostering widespread AI adoption and entrepreneurship. It concludes by outlining policy recommendations for Canada to build an "AI nation" through investments in AI literacy, regulatory clarity, data infrastructure, and targeted support for adoption and innovation, drawing lessons from comparator countries like the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Taiwan.