The accelerating deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) is unfolding in parallel with the world’s triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. This paper examines how AI intersects with sustainable development, with a specific focus on Canada’s national context, governance model, and emerging AI ecosystem. It traces the evolution of global sustainability efforts from the UN’s early environmental initiatives to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and outlines how Canada has translated these commitments into a whole-of-government approach through its Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS). Against this backdrop, the paper analyzes how Canada is leveraging AI to accelerate clean energy, critical minerals development, industrial decarbonization, and ecosystem protection, while simultaneously navigating the trade-offs that accompany sustainable development—particularly those related to mining, AI data center infrastructure, water consumption, and energy demand. The societal implications of AI adoption, including labour market disruption, risks associated with generative AI, and impacts on creative industries and education, are explored as key considerations for responsible technology governance. Ultimately, this paper argues that AI can be a powerful enabler of sustainability if deployed within strong ethical, environmental, and institutional frameworks, but warns that without careful oversight, AI’s resource intensity and social impacts could undermine the very goals it seeks to advance.