The Sovereignty Paradox: Can American Tech Giants Help Canada Go It Alone?

Canada wants digital sovereignty. OpenAI says it wants to help. But is that a contradiction in terms?

In this episode, we unpack the tension at the heart of Canadian AI policy. OpenAI's Chris Lehane came to Toronto pitching partnership, warning Canada not to become "the Maine of AI." Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney has committed billions to a sovereign Canadian cloud. The problem? The U.S. Cloud Act means American companies can be compelled to hand over data regardless of where it's stored.

We look at Cohere's $240 million federal deal that flows to American infrastructure, Microsoft's $7.5 billion "sovereignty" pledge, and what AI Minister Evan Solomon means when he says "sovereignty is not solitude."

Plus: why Europe's GAIA-X failed, what Guillaume Beaumier says about the legal realities, and four things to watch as this debate unfolds.