- Bell chooses Cohere as preferred partner for AI models and services
- Move responds to growing demand for secure, Canada-based AI infrastructure
What happened: Bell and Cohere team up to build local AI platform
Bell, one of Canada’s largest telecom companies, has started a new partnership with Cohere, a Toronto-based AI startup. Cohere builds language models that support multiple languages and also makes a product called North, which lets users create AI agents that can help with different tasks. These tools are now part of Bell’s AI Fabric, which is the company’s new AI platform for Canadian businesses. This platform gives access to machine learning tools, cloud software, and AI services for both consumers and companies. Bell provides these services under the Ateko brand. Cohere will now be Bell’s main partner for Canadian-made AI tools. At the same time, Bell will become the main provider of infrastructure for Cohere’s AI models.
The companies also said Bell will use Cohere’s North system inside its own operations. Bell employees will be able to build their own AI tools using North to enhance their workflow. This setup enables staff to create agents that utilize Bell’s data to identify more effective ways to manage tasks or streamline daily operations. Both companies said this deal will give Canadian businesses and the public sector better AI tools while keeping their data safe and inside the country. This is part of a bigger plan from Bell, which launched its AI Fabric in May. The goal is to give Canadian companies the tools they need to compete with global players in AI. Back in March, Bell also released a new cloud-based security service that only operates on Canadian servers.
Also read: Nvidia and Salesforce back AI startup Cohere with $450M
Also read: Bell’s sovereign cloud security launch
Why it’s important
Many companies in Canada want to use AI, but they also want to keep control of their own data. This is why Bell’s move to work with a Canadian company like Cohere is important. The partnership means data will stay in Canada, which is something many businesses and government groups now ask for. After recent comments from Donald Trump about Canada being the “51st state,” many Canadian organisations started looking for local tech options. They want to reduce how much they rely on US technology. This deal helps with that goal.
Other companies are doing something similar. Telus, another large telecom company in Canada, is also building its own AI platform using hardware from Nvidia. Still, Bell’s partnership with Cohere stands out because both companies are Canadian, and the system they are building is meant to serve Canadian needs first. Bell CEO Mirko Bibic said the deal will help Canadian companies grow using AI, while also keeping their data safe. Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez said the tools could help teams work faster and more efficiently. The Canadian government also supports the idea. Evan Solomon, Canada’s minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation, said the partnership shows the strength of Canadian tech and helps the country build its own AI future.
