Canada ended a two-day meeting of G7 industry, digital and technology ministers Tuesday after signing agreements with European partners that are taking a tougher stand on regulating artificial intelligence than the United States.
The memorandums of understanding with the European Union, Germany and the U.K. focused on digital issues, including artificial intelligence. While the U.S. sent representatives to the meeting, no such deal with the United States was announced.
During the closing press conference, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said Canada has a robust trade relationship with the U.S. but it is deepening its relationship with European countries.
"What we want to do strategically as well, as we move from reliance to resilience, is expand our trade. And we did that this past number of days," he said.
The two-day event is one of a series of ministerial meetings being held this year as Canada holds the presidency of the G7 group of nations.
It comes at a time of deep divisions between the EU — a proponent of AI regulation — and the U.S., which has taken a laissez-faire approach to the technology under U.S. President Donald Trump.
Asked whether the deals indicate Canada is moving to one side of that division, Solomon said this is not about "picking sides."
"American companies are functioning across the EU and in the U.K. despite different rules … We've got to be very careful not to see as an on-off switch," he said.
Solomon signed a memorandum of agreement with the U.K.'s minister for digital government and data Tuesday afternoon.
A government press release said the deal focuses on "national digital public infrastructure, reinforcing a shared commitment to secure and interoperable digital systems."
The agreement with Germany is meant to increase collaboration on AI, quantum technology, digital sovereignty and infrastructure. Canada also signed two agreements with the EU — one focused on adoption and responsible development of AI and the other on digital credentials.
Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president of the European Commission for technological sovereignty, security and democracy, told The Canadian Press in an interview it's important for the E.U. to work with like-minded partners.
She said Canada is among democratic countries who share the same values. "And that's why it's important also to share best practices and look also (at) how we can be stronger together," Virkkunen said.
Paul Samson, president of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, said the fact that the agreements don't include the U.S. is unusual.
"The Trump administration is going its own way on AI, and will likely propose deals to countries that will largely use the U.S. tech systems and market structures," he said in an email.
Mark Daley, professor and chief AI officer at Western University, said there is substance to the agreements Canada signed Monday and he's heartened by what he's seen come out of the meeting.
"The right conversations are being had, the complexity is being respected," he said.
Daley said the agreements with the EU and Germany include concrete elements on infrastructure and interoperable rules and standards.
"Even where it looks like the EU and the U.S. may disagree on regulatory strength, they both still want to be able to sell into each other's markets," Daley said.
"So there's these shared incentives and that's what's actually going to drive progress and forward motion on things like these MOUs."
Solomon told reporters Monday the U.S. is "talking about aligning and working together, which we encourage."
Daley noted that some of the language in Canada's agreement with Europe was about shared approaches to AI safety.
"You can see very sincere desire to co-operate on regulation, but at the same time, we're not saying we're going to just adopt European regulations wholesale," he said.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
