UK’s Burnham, Canada’s Carney discuss AI risks, defence cooperation

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held their first bilateral meeting to advance cooperation on defence and artificial intelligence, capped by an evening watching a football match together at Everton’s stadium in Liverpool.

The British Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Wednesday that the leaders agreed governments and the tech sector must partner to ensure online safety and counter the risks of AI.

The meeting came days after Burnham’s spokesperson welcomed growing discussion among AI companies about the technology’s risks.

“It’s a good thing that the companies developing the most advanced AI systems are now talking openly about the risks as well as the opportunities,” the spokesperson for the British Prime Minister’s Office said, adding that policy decisions needed to be “grounded in evidence rather than speculation” and that existing regulatory frameworks may not remain sufficient as AI capabilities advance.

Neither the United Kingdom nor Canada currently has a dedicated law governing AI.

Britain has taken a “pro-innovation”, sector-led approach since releasing its policy paper in March 2023, empowering sectoral regulators to police AI rather than passing standalone legislation.

Canada’s own initiative, the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act, lapsed when parliament was prorogued in January 2025. That procedural suspension cancelled all pending legislation, and the measure has not been revived.

The Canadian government currently relies on privacy law and a voluntary industry code instead.

On defence, discussions centred on reconciling competing British and Canadian blueprints for an allied military financing bank, against the backdrop of Canada applying to the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force and joining the Global Combat Air Programme as an observer.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed that Canada become the EU’s first “associate member”, as Ottawa seeks closer ties with Europe amid trade tensions with the United States.