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Canada is sending an AI delegation to the World Governments Summit in Dubai this week—over 200 companies applied to pitch Canadian AI solutions to 35 heads of state and 6,000 participants. The mission follows an October MOU between Minister Evan Solomon and the UAE, with delegates presenting "responsible, human-centred AI" for government decision-making, health services, and public safety.
But new data from IBM suggests the home front isn't as confident. While 86% of Canadian executives already use agentic AI and 68% expect AI agents to act independently by year's end, only 36% of Canadian workers are willing to be managed by AI—below the global average of 48%. And 82% of consumers say they'd trust a brand less if it concealed AI use.
This episode examines the gap between Canada's international AI brand and domestic reality: executives racing to deploy while workers pump the brakes on trust, governance frameworks that remain aspirational, and a talent shortage that shows no signs of easing. Canada is marketing AI sovereignty abroad while struggling to build the foundation at home.
Sources: IBM Institute for Business Value "Five Trends for 2026" report; SCALE AI World Governments Summit announcement; Episode 15 research on Ontario AI principles and implementation challenges.
Tags/Keywords
- Canada AI policy
- AI governance
- IBM AI report
- World Governments Summit Dubai
- SCALE AI
- AI trust
- Agentic AI
- AI sovereignty
- Evan Solomon
- UAE Canada AI
- Canadian tech policy
- AI workforce
- AI deployment
Chapter Markers / Timecodes
TimeChapter00:00 | Introduction — Canada's AI delegation to Dubai
00:45 | IBM report: Two stories in one
01:30 | Executives all in: 86% using agentic AI
02:15 | Workers pump the brakes: Only 36% willing to be managed by AI
03:00 | The trust number: 82% would trust brands less
03:30 | What Canada is selling in Dubai
04:30 | The gap: International brand vs domestic reality
05:30 | 92% want AI sovereignty — but what does that require?
06:15 | Global context: Everyone is struggling
07:00 | The pressure to deploy vs pressure to govern
07:30 | Closing — You can't export your way out of a trust problem
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By Paul KarwatskySend us a text
Canada is sending an AI delegation to the World Governments Summit in Dubai this week—over 200 companies applied to pitch Canadian AI solutions to 35 heads of state and 6,000 participants. The mission follows an October MOU between Minister Evan Solomon and the UAE, with delegates presenting "responsible, human-centred AI" for government decision-making, health services, and public safety.
But new data from IBM suggests the home front isn't as confident. While 86% of Canadian executives already use agentic AI and 68% expect AI agents to act independently by year's end, only 36% of Canadian workers are willing to be managed by AI—below the global average of 48%. And 82% of consumers say they'd trust a brand less if it concealed AI use.
This episode examines the gap between Canada's international AI brand and domestic reality: executives racing to deploy while workers pump the brakes on trust, governance frameworks that remain aspirational, and a talent shortage that shows no signs of easing. Canada is marketing AI sovereignty abroad while struggling to build the foundation at home.
Sources: IBM Institute for Business Value "Five Trends for 2026" report; SCALE AI World Governments Summit announcement; Episode 15 research on Ontario AI principles and implementation challenges.
Tags/Keywords
- Canada AI policy
- AI governance
- IBM AI report
- World Governments Summit Dubai
- SCALE AI
- AI trust
- Agentic AI
- AI sovereignty
- Evan Solomon
- UAE Canada AI
- Canadian tech policy
- AI workforce
- AI deployment
Chapter Markers / Timecodes
TimeChapter00:00 | Introduction — Canada's AI delegation to Dubai
00:45 | IBM report: Two stories in one
01:30 | Executives all in: 86% using agentic AI
02:15 | Workers pump the brakes: Only 36% willing to be managed by AI
03:00 | The trust number: 82% would trust brands less
03:30 | What Canada is selling in Dubai
04:30 | The gap: International brand vs domestic reality
05:30 | 92% want AI sovereignty — but what does that require?
06:15 | Global context: Everyone is struggling
07:00 | The pressure to deploy vs pressure to govern
07:30 | Closing — You can't export your way out of a trust problem