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Highlights from the Canadian Chamber’s Inaugural AI Mission to New York City
Highlights from the Canadian Chamber’s Inaugural AI Mission to New York City
Over two days in September 2024, attendees dove into the future of AI and its place in the broader U.S.-Canada relationship.
Artificial Intelligence is expected to be a significant point of discussion during the May 2025 G7 Summit. Ahead of Canada’s G7 Presidency, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Consulate General of Canada to the United States in New York, convened a special mission that brought together various American and Canadian stakeholders from the AI policy space. Over two days in September 2024, attendees dove into the future of AI and its place in the broader U.S.-Canada relationship. More than 40 Canadian business leaders joined the delegation from the Canadian Chamber.
The business-led mission highlighted the importance of AI being at the forefront of every policy discussion across all jurisdictions (regional and global), whether that discussion pertains to business adoption, trust, productivity, national security, workforce, online safety or energy use.
Day 1
The mission kicked off at one of Amazon’s downtown offices overlooking the Empire State Building.
Day 1 began with a warm welcome from Aissata Camara, Deputy NYC Commissioner for International Affairs, NYC Mayor’s Office.
The U.S. Tech Policy Landscape
Kellee Wicker, Director of the Science and Technology Innovation Program at the Wilson Centre, started the day’s program with a deep dive into the U.S. tech policy landscape.
The Future of AI Policy in North America
A fireside chat between Kevin Allison, President, Minerva Technology Policy Advisors, and Murad Hemmadi, AI Reporter, The Logic.
The Potential of AI Partnerships Across North America
A panel discussion featuring Bill Syrros, Partner/Leader, BDO Exponential Labs, BDO Lixar; Liz Culley-Sullo, Director of Public Relations, Brainbox AI; Parker Sheedy, Global Partnership & Business Development, Techstars; and moderator Yana Lukasheh, Senior Principal, Canada Public Policy, AWS.
Leveraging the G7 Opportunity to Create World-Leading AI Policy in Canada, Against the Backdrop of the 2026 CUSMA
After lunch, the program picked up again with a fireside chat featuring Josh Meltzer, Senior Fellow, Global Economy & Development, Brookings Institution, and Marlene Floyd, Senior National Director, Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Canada.
Panellists discussed how the digital trade chapter included in CUSMA (which didn’t exist in NAFTA) is an opportunity to bring AI into the conversation:
- AI could be a positive agenda for all three governments.
- A lot more can be done from a trade perspective, including interoperability.
- If Canada can pull off some positive measures via the G7, it may be a good indication of what can be done with CUSMA.
Brainstorming Session
The afternoon featured a facilitated brainstorming session for attendees to explore ways that Canada can leverage the 2025 G7 platform to announce meaningful AI-related measures that will contribute to economic growth, enhanced productivity and increase innovation. Some of the points raised:
- Canada should prioritize regulatory alignment with our key trading partners, like the U.S. and EU.
- There is a growing need to share and showcase successful AI adoption cases.
- Lack of trust in AI was highlighted as part of the reason why businesses are not adopting AI, alongside lack of skills and education.
The Geopolitics of AI: From Regulation to Energy, Managing Business Risks and Opportunities in North America
A panel discussion featuring Kevin Allison; Marc-Etienne Ouimette, Principal, AI/ML, Global Public Policy, AWS; Xiaomeng Lu, Director, Geo-Technology, Eurasia Group; Colin Eide, Director, Microsoft Threat Analysis Centre; and moderator Scott Bradley, Director, Global Government Relations, OpenText.
Allison observed during the panel that as the “everything AI” hype era dies down more pragmatic conversations are emerging. “The discussion is moving beyond science fiction, and that’s a good thing,” said Allison. “Along with continuing to make progress on managing risks, governments are getting more serious about AI adoption. Canada has a big opportunity to advance the conversation during its G7 presidency.”
U.S.-Canada Collaboration in the Development and Management of Tools in the Convergence of Advanced Computing, AI, and Biotechnology
The final session of the day was a presentation from Chandresh Harjivan, Special Advisor to the President (White House), Domestic Preparedness and Response to Biological Threats.
Day 2
The second day of the AI Mission took place at the offices of the Consulate General to Canada.
AI Narrative Across North America: Where It’s Been and Where It’s Going
The first morning session was a fireside chat led by Catherine Fortin LeFaivre, Vice President, Strategic Policy and Global Partnerships, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and featured Murad Hemmadi and Krystal Hu, Venture Capital & Startup Correspondent, Reuters.
Understanding Human Dynamics of AI Workforce Adoption
The day continued with a briefing and Q&A with Tom Clark, Consul General in New York City, and Consulate staff, followed by a panel discussion featuring Stephanie Bell, Chief Programs and Insights Officer, Partnership on AI (PAI); Gabe Batstone, CEO, Contextere; and moderator Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia, Senior Director, Digital Economy, Technology & Innovation, Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
During the panel, Batstone noted that “the G7 presents a unique opportunity for Canada to lead in establishing a global standard for inclusive, worker-centered AI adoption that benefits everyone.”
Prioritizing Productivity: Lessons Learned on AI Adoption from Leading U.S. Institutions in the NYC Area
The morning sessions concluded with a panel discussion featuring Alex Foard, Executive Director, New York City Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI); Aila Yamanaka, Senior Manager, Data Technology & Innovation, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey; Kai Feder, Chief of Staff, New Jersey Office of Innovation;and moderator Christine Guyot, Director of Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Canada.
AI for Economic Growth in the Lead Up to the G7 Canadian Presidency
The afternoon boasted a public program at the Consulate General with opening remarks from Tom Clark; Candace Laing, President and CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce; Edward Mermelstein, NYC Commissioner for International Affairs; and David Brulotte, Quebec’s Delegate General in New York.
Opening remarks were followed by a panel discussion featuring Julien Billot, CEO, Scale AI; Laura McGee, Founder & CEO, Diversio; The Honorable David Lametti, Counsel, Fasken; and Dr. Joseph Yun, CEO, Bluefoxlabs AI. The conversation was moderated by Kris Reyes, Foreign Correspondent, CBC in New York.
The day concluded with a reception at the Consulate General where guests had a chance to network, brainstorm and discuss the 2025 outlook.
Seizing the Moment in 2025
The discussions had over the two-day mission underscored the need for the federal government to think long and hard about how Canada can leverage its 2025 G7 presidency to propel economic growth and productivity through greater business adoption of AI.
Government officials often describe Canada as being a global leader in AI, but it would be more accurate to say that Canada is a global leader in AI research and a laggard in AI adoption.
Given our productivity emergency — as named by the Bank of Canada’s Senior Deputy last year — it’s a policy imperative to prioritize productivity enablers, such as AI. Recent reports show AI’s potential: Accenture forecasts that by 2030, gen AI could boost labour productivity in Canada by 8% and deliver $180 billion per year in productivity benefits, while the Business Data Lab’s 2024 report found gen AI could grow Canada’s productivity between 1–6% over the next decade depending on the rate of adoption.
This spring, with the world’s eyes on Canada, the federal government can show it is taking meaningful steps to build on our AI expertise and propel Canada’s productivity by proposing specific, targeted measures that will allow for greater business adoption of AI.
Thank you to our mission sponsors:
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
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