Quebec's omission of AI governance from CUSMA priorities raises concerns over digital sovereignty
By
by Muhammad Irfan
Pure flour-power. Hearty enough to carry you through lunch.
Summary
Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette's recent meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer prioritized supply management and French language protection during the upcoming CUSMA review, but notably omitted digital sovereignty and AI governance. This is significant because Quebec is the Canadian jurisdiction most exposed to whatever the CUSMA review decides regarding data centres, cloud infrastructure, and the AI economy. Canada currently lacks AI laws and digital safeguards, risking weaker oversight of data, algorithms, and cloud systems as trade negotiations proceed.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledWhen Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington in late April, she named two priorities as non-negotiable during the upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA): supply management and the French language.
Digital sovereignty, including artificial-intelligence governance, was not on the list.
Quebec is, by infrastructure and electricity policy, the most-exposed Canadian jurisdiction to whatever the CUSMA review settles for the data centre, cloud and AI economy.
To leave digital so
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