Canada says it will write its own AI rules, whatever the US does

What happened

On September 3, 2026, The Logic reported that Canada's AI Minister, Evan Solomon, said Canada will keep its own AI rules and not follow a US push toward lighter regulation.

The push came at a G20 meeting in North Carolina. Michael Kratsios, who leads technology policy at the White House, argued that fewer rules are helping the US economy. Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, said companies should be responsible for making sure their products are safe. Canada was represented at the meeting by Karim Bardeesy, parliamentary secretary to the Industry Minister.

Solomon said Canada has heard the US position clearly and will protect Canadians in its own way. Canada will keep working with European and other governments on technology policy, and will continue to advance its new privacy bill and its online harms bill. The latter would cover AI on social media platforms.

So what for your business

The practical reading is that you shouldn't plan on Canadian and American rules converging. If you sell into both markets, you're likely to face two sets of expectations, and the Canadian one may be stricter on privacy, children's data and the safety of AI on social platforms.

The article doesn't spell out what the bills require, so read the text before making any decisions. But the direction is clear enough to plan around.

One point cuts the other way. Even the US voice at the meeting said companies are responsible for the safety of their products. Scrutiny of how you test and monitor your AI is likely to grow in both countries.

What to do this month

1. Decide which standard you build to. For most teams selling in both markets, building to the stricter one is cheaper than maintaining two.
2. Map where your product touches personal data and AI decisions. That's where the Canadian bills are most likely to bite.
3. Keep records. How you tested the system, what it does, and how you'd explain an outcome. These help under any regime.
4. Name an owner. Someone who tracks Canadian AI and privacy developments and reports to leadership each quarter.
5. Treat children's data as a special case. If minors could use your product, review that now.