Canada and Germany deepen cooperation on safe and human-centered artificial intelligence

08:32

By: Azzat Manal

Canada and Germany deepen cooperation on safe and human-centered artificial intelligence

Canada and Germany have announced a new stage of cooperation aimed at developing advanced artificial intelligence systems that are designed to be safer, more transparent and aligned with human needs.

The announcement was made on September 16 at the ALL IN artificial intelligence conference in Montréal by Canadian Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon and Germany’s Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation Karsten Wildberger. The initiative builds on a broader partnership between the two countries on advanced technologies and digital sovereignty.

At the center of the initiative is joint support for LawZero, a Montréal-based nonprofit organization working on an alternative approach to advanced AI. Canada and Germany plan to provide up to C$300 million in combined funding, with Canada committing C$150 million and Germany €100 million, subject to the required European approval process.

The project focuses on developing AI that is safe by design rather than relying solely on safeguards added after increasingly capable systems have been developed. LawZero is working on a methodology known as Scientist AI, intended to produce transparent, evidence-based outputs without giving the system its own objectives or incentives to pursue autonomous goals.

The initiative comes as governments and technology companies debate how to manage the rapid expansion of increasingly capable AI systems. Recent discussions have focused on issues ranging from cybersecurity and autonomous agents to privacy, misinformation and the potential misuse of advanced models. Germany has recently emphasized continued AI development alongside stronger safety measures, while international policymakers have increasingly called for cooperation on risk management.

For Canada, the partnership is also linked to efforts to strengthen domestic technological capacity. The Canadian government said the project will support research and engineering talent as well as computing infrastructure, with the initiative expected to create around 360 full-time jobs in Canada. A dedicated computing infrastructure will be developed with Canadian technology companies Hypertec and 5C.

Germany’s contribution is intended to expand the research program through a new LawZero office in Germany. The project is expected to incorporate European approaches to AI regulation and governance while supporting research into systems that can be evaluated and monitored for safety.

The new initiative follows a joint declaration on artificial intelligence signed by Canada and Germany in February 2026, when the two governments also announced the launch of a Sovereign Technology Alliance. That framework is designed to strengthen cooperation in advanced technologies, reduce strategic dependencies and support the development of secure technological capabilities.

Research institutions are also becoming part of the expanding partnership. The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence and Canada’s Mila research institute have agreed to collaborate on areas including trustworthy AI, agentic systems and applications in sectors such as energy.

The ALL IN conference provided a broader setting for the announcement, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, technology companies and government representatives. Discussions at the event covered the social impact of AI, business applications, data and computing infrastructure, emerging technologies and robotics.

The Canada-Germany initiative reflects a broader international effort to balance technological innovation with safety and public accountability. Rather than focusing solely on restricting the development of advanced AI, the project seeks to support research into systems whose design incorporates transparency and safety from the beginning.

As AI capabilities continue to advance, cooperation between governments, research institutions and technology organizations is becoming increasingly important. The Canadian-German partnership is intended to contribute to that effort while strengthening both countries’ ability to develop and deploy advanced AI technologies according to their respective regulatory frameworks and strategic priorities.