Leaders of the G7 have reached agreements on a “human-centric approach” to artificial intelligence adoption, fighting transnational oppression and creating standards-based markets for critical minerals, but not on holding Russia to account for its war in Ukraine or securing a ceasefire in the Middle East.
The seven world leaders wrapped up their summit in Alberta Tuesday without a unified communique on shared views, which has been the standard after past gatherings.
Rather, the summit produced a series of joint statements on issues ranging from artificial intelligence and quantum computing to migrant smuggling and transnational repression.
A wider group of signatories, which includes Australia, India and South Korea, are committing to work together to invest in responsible critical minerals projects.
Australia, India, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa also signed on with the G7 to a wildfire charter that calls for co-operation to prevent, fight and recover from devastating fires.
The G7 leaders released a short statement Monday night calling for a de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East in response to continued fighting between Israel and Iran.
There was no final agreement on the war in Ukraine or a collective effort to pressure Moscow into ceasefire negotiations. Canada and other allies announced new Russian sanctions and aid for Ukraine on Tuesday, but the U.S. did not follow suit.
A senior Canadian government official told reporters on background that the U.S. sought weaker language on Ukraine and Russia than what other members proposed, resulting in no joint statement being issued.
The official said it was challenging to get the U.S. to agree on a statement on Ukraine in part because it’s trying to negotiate a ceasefire or peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. They added Canada planned to use the stronger language agreed to by the other leaders in its closing chair’s statement, which does not require consensus and will be released late Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump left the summit a day early to deal with the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. He told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back to Washington that “we did everything I had to do at the G7.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump agreed to work toward a new economic and security agreement between Canada and the U.S. within the next 30 days, the Prime Minister’s Office said after the two leaders met.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Carney fulfilled his mission as G7 host to preserve the unity of the multilateral organization.
“We shouldn’t ask the Canadian presidency to resolve every issue on earth today, that would be unfair. But he held the group together,” said Macron, who will host the G7 next year.
‘Human-centric’ artificial intelligence
The artificial intelligence statement is the most detailed from the G7 leaders to date.
It promises a “human-centric approach” to adopting the quickly advancing technology “to grow prosperity, benefit societies and address pressing global challenges,” particularly to drive economic efficiency and boost national security.
While the statement said the G7 leaders recognized the risk AI poses to job security, business models and energy security, it said governments “must seize the potential of AI in our public sectors to drive efficiency and better serve our publics” and help companies do the same to “scale” their businesses.
The leaders said they will launch an AI adoption roadmap to build on past G7 ministerial agreements on adopting AI “in the world of work” and “build resilient future workforces by preparing workers for AI-driven transitions,” including “developing a voluntary compendium of best practices.”
It does not say how it plans to prevent wide-scale job losses that some AI creators and innovators have warned could be unleashed by widespread, unregulated adoption.
The statement says G7 countries will work to address AI’s heavy energy consumption and increase access to AI in developing countries.
“We recognize that increased AI adoption will place growing pressure on our energy grids, produce negative externalities and have implications for energy security, resilience and affordability,” the statement said.
“At the same time, AI can be harnessed to promote energy innovation and bolster the resilience and reliability of our energy systems.”
The statement said member countries also “hear the concerns of emerging market and developing country partners about the challenges they face in building resilient AI ecosystems, including the risks of disruption and exclusion from today’s technological revolution.”
It said Canada, which holds the G7 presidency this year, will host a series of “Rapid Solution Labs” to “develop innovative and scalable solutions to the barriers we face in adopting AI in the public sector.”
Government ministers will be tasked with exploring “strategic investments for accelerating public sector AI adoption in transformative ways” in Canada.
Carney and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a separate agreement on further AI collaboration last weekend ahead of the summit after Starmer visited with Carney in Ottawa on his way to Kananaskis.
The seven countries also issued a “common vision” for emerging quantum technologies, committing them to promoting “public and private investment in quantum science and technology.”
Wildfire prevention, migrant smuggling also addressed
An agreement dubbed the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter outlines steps that all G7 countries and five non-G7 members intend to take on wildfire prevention, research collaboration and community rebuilding efforts.
At last year’s summit, leaders agreed to prevent and manage the negative impacts of wildfires but did not outline specific plans for doing so and committed to reversing deforestation by 2030.
The declaration comes as Canada battles yet another devastating wildfire season and almost one year after a wildfire ripped through Jasper, an Alberta town 250 kilometres from where the leaders are meeting.
The G7 leaders signed on to a statement pledging to tackle migrant smuggling. The statement said the G7 “will explore, consistent with our legal systems, the potential use of sanctions to target criminals involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking operations from countries where those activities emanate.”
A separate statement declared the leaders are “deeply concerned by growing reports of transnational repression,” defined in the statement as an aggressive form of foreign interference in which states or their proxies try to intimidate, harass, harm or coerce people outside their borders.
The statement condemns all forms of transnational repression, which can include a range of activities from assassination to cyber-surveillance.
It calls for member countries to report on transnational repression in the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism public reports, and develop e a framework to co-operate to counter such activities.
—With files from Global’s David Akin and the Canadian Press
