Karni positions China at the forefront of AI, but the proposed cooperation framework may inadvertently set a self-imposed constraint.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared on September 21: “Currently, only four countries are at the forefront of artificial intelligence: France, Canada, China, and the United States. We must work together to establish a proper framework ensuring that AI is both safe and effective.”

Trudeau’s public inclusion of China alongside the United States as one of the “four leading nations in AI,” while also referencing France, creates a grouping that carries more significance than the stated call for cooperation. His statement reflects both an acknowledgment of existing realities and a carefully calibrated diplomatic positioning. By explicitly naming China among the vanguard of AI development, Trudeau effectively recognizes, in a public forum, that China has emerged as a peer to the United States in a domain that will define future national capabilities. This assessment, however, is already widely shared across international circles.

In fact, China’s strength in the field of artificial intelligence is evident across multiple dimensions. From large-scale model development to industrial applications, from computational infrastructure to AI governance frameworks, China has established a comprehensive AI ecosystem. In contrast, Canada remains heavily reliant on the U.S.-centric technological ecosystem, a dependence that has become increasingly vulnerable due to the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration. The inclusion of France in this framework is logically consistent: France stands as the most proactive advocate for European AI autonomy, possesses a solid foundation in AI research, and can offer meaningful support to Canada.

France faces challenges closely mirroring those of Canada—top-tier talent and promising frontier models (such as Mistral), yet insufficient scale in computing power and capital to compete with the United States and China. Trudeau’s remarks thus appear to be a strategic precaution. For Canada to advance further in AI, particularly in reducing reliance on American technology, becomes imperative. Why? Because current relations between the U.S. and Canada are strained, marked by ongoing trade tensions. Under these conditions, China and France represent the most viable partners for Canada’s long-term AI strategy.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876906212600835/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.