Alberta and Québec have formalized a partnership through a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop artificial intelligence applications in government, enhancing resource sharing and coordinated efforts to modernize public services.
- Memorandum establishes joint committee to guide AI collaboration
- Sharing of AI strategies, policies, training materials, and technical assets
- Partnership leverages Alberta's Amii and Québec's Mila research hubs
What happened
Alberta’s Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, and Québec’s Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Technology, France-Élaine Duranceau, together with Jean Boulet, Québec’s Minister responsible for Canadian relations, signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on AI initiatives within their respective governments. This agreement enables the two provinces to exchange resources and insights to benefit from ongoing AI adoption and public service modernization efforts.
The memorandum, known as the Operational Cooperation Agreement in the Field of Artificial Intelligence, commits Alberta and Québec to form a joint steering committee. This body will oversee the development of a shared work plan identifying collaborative opportunities as well as conducting potential pilot projects. The cooperation also includes sharing provincial AI strategies, policies, governance frameworks, training materials, and possibly technical assets such as source code and tools.
Why it matters
This partnership is significant as it reflects a growing recognition among Canadian provinces of the benefits of cooperative AI development to accelerate innovation in government services. Instead of working in isolation, Alberta and Québec are combining their strengths and existing technology to bypass redundant efforts and achieve faster progress.
Both provinces host prominent AI research institutions—Alberta with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) and Québec with the Montréal-based Mila. These centers contribute foundational research and expertise, creating a strong ecosystem that the governments can tap into for operational AI applications. The agreement also sets an example for interprovincial collaboration on emerging technologies.
What to watch next
Monitor how the joint steering committee outlines and prioritizes specific AI projects, including any announced pilot programs aimed at public sector modernization. The nature of shared technical assets and governance approaches will also be important to observe as these frameworks often influence transparency and accountability in AI deployments.
Additionally, it will be worth following how the partnership influences workforce development initiatives such as training programs and materials. The sharing of these resources could serve to build a stronger AI-skilled talent pool in both provinces, potentially spurring further innovation within and beyond government applications.