<\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s Artificial Intelligence (AI) minister, Evan Solomon, isn\u2019t ruling out American companies playing a part in Canada\u2019s sovereign cloud strategy<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe Cloud Act does not allow the US government at any point to just come in and grab your data; they need judicial warrants.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Solomon made the remarks Thursday morning at Solink\u2019s Ottawa headquarters, after commemorating its expansion. When asked by reporters if there\u2019s a role for American companies in Canada\u2019s sovereign cloud effort, Solomon said the government is still working out the definition of \u201csovereignty,\u201d and that the concept comes with legal, operational, technical, and political considerations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re working on the definition, because it means there\u2019s legal definitions of \u2018chain of command\u2019 and \u2018under control,\u2019 making sure that you\u2019re not subjected to coercion,\u201d Solomon said.<\/p>\n \u201cOn one aspect, the definition of sovereignty, and, technically, how that works in our infrastructure, yes, there may be room for multiple players,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sovereign data has become a talking point<\/a> amidst Canada\u2019s changing relationship<\/a> with the United States. American firms own nearly a third<\/a> of Canada\u2019s 283 data centres, and Prime Minister Mark Carney recently dubbed<\/a> the development of a \u201cCanadian sovereign cloud\u201d a top priority of the new Major Projects Office.\u00a0<\/p>\n RELATED: <\/strong>Canada hopes to build a sovereign cloud to counter US dominance. It won\u2019t be easy<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n While many Canadian players<\/a> have stepped forward to power Canada\u2019s sovereign cloud, American giants like OpenAI<\/a> and Google<\/a> have also put their hat in the ring. However, storing Canadian information in American-owned data centres raises concerns about both the US Cloud Act<\/a> and the longstanding Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Data hosted on servers owned by US companies can potentially be turned over to US law enforcement by request.<\/p>\n Solomon, who has called<\/a> digital sovereignty \u201cthe most pressing policy and democratic issue of our time,\u201d downplayed concerns about the US Cloud Act\u2019s ramifications. He told reporters there is \u201ca lot of hype\u201d around its potential ramifications \u201cfor real reasons,\u201d but that the government is planning for \u201cany contingency.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cJust so folks appreciate it: the Cloud Act does not allow the US government at any point to just come in and grab your data; they need judicial warrants,\u201d Solomon said. \u201cThere\u2019s lots of things in it that we\u2019re looking at very closely, that we have to be pragmatic and careful about, but it\u2019s top of mind and will be in aspects of how we define sovereignty.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Canadian sovereign cloud primer<\/p>\n As unpredictable US policy spurs concern about data sovereignty, Canadian policymakers and companies are racing to make a \u201cCanadian sovereign cloud\u201d a reality.<\/p>\n \u2022 Carney says new Major Projects Office will help build a \u201cCanadian sovereign cloud\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Canada hopes to build a sovereign cloud to counter US dominance. It won\u2019t be easy<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Telus opens inaugural Sovereign AI Factory in Rimouski<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Mila partners with Hypertec and 5C to launch Sovereign AI Research Hub in Montr\u00e9al<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Canadian cloud providers unite to launch sovereign cloud offering for government<\/a><\/p>\n On Thursday morning, Solomon also provided reporters with an update on the government\u2019s AI task force<\/a>, which selected industry and academic leaders to solicit and provide feedback on a refreshed federal AI strategy<\/a> by Nov.1. The minister said the government has to \u201cabsorb\u201d the over so-far 6,500 feedback submissions, and pegged the launch of the renewed AI strategy for either the end of 2025 or January 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a listening exercise first and foremost; it\u2019s not pre-baked,\u201d Solomon said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to just see where it\u2019s going.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n