Canada wants to share quantum computing, AI with AUKUS allies, says Defence Min Anita Anand

Quattum Computing representation image by Manuel on Unsplash

Canada’s defence minister Anita Anand was reported by the media saying that Canada is interested in sharing more advanced military technologies like quantum computing, AI, with allies of AUKUS as it starts to expand.

Canada was left out of a trilateral military pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, known as AUKUS which was announced about 18 months ago as a security pact that would see the U.S. and Britain help Australia develop a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in response to growing concerns about China.

When asked at an event on Monday at the National Defence headquarters in Ottawa, if Canada was notified of or invited to join AUKUS, Anita avoided answering the question.

“As I mentioned, we are highly interested in continuing to work with our allies, including Australia, United States and the U.K., in terms of our capabilities in advanced technologies, in innovation in AI and quantum technologies,” Anand said but did not directly say if Canada is making a formal bid to join AUKUS.

Even before the formal announcement of the pact by the United States, Britain and Australia in September 2021, several defence and diplomatic sources had reported that Canada had not been invited to participate in the deal.

A new report published Tuesday by The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies co-authored by Vincent Rigby, a former national security and intelligence adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Ottawa must overcome its apparent indifference to the deal or risk being left behind by its allies.

“The glacial pace at which Canada appears to be adapting to the realities of modern great power competition has left it far behind the curve, with consequences for both Ottawa’s reputation among its allies and its ability to protect Canadian territory, sovereignty, and contribute to global peace and stability,” said the report, which probed the reasons why Canada was left out of AUKUS.

Rigby also said that when he was Trudeau’s national security and intelligence adviser, he was aware that Canada would not be invited to join the arrangement that became AUKUS just a few months before it was announced.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada isn’t interested in nuclear-powered submarines and dismissed concerns of critics who say Canada’s exclusion from the deal is evidence that other countries don’t believe it is taking the China threat seriously.

Anand said that Canada is interested in cooperation with those allies on quantum computing, AI, and other technology despite being left out of AUKUS.

The countries involved in AUKUS have agreed to discuss sharing that kind of technology separate from the pact on nuclear submarines.

#Canada; #AUKUS; #AdvancedMilitaryTechnology; #ChinaThreat; #AnitaAnand; #QuantumCmputing; #AI; # Australia, #UnitedKingdom; #UnitedStates

Even before the formal announcement of the pact by the United States, Britain and Australia in September 2021, several defence and diplomatic sources had reported that Canada had not been invited to participate in the deal.

A new report published Tuesday by The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies co-authored by Vincent Rigby, a former national security and intelligence adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Ottawa must overcome its apparent indifference to the deal or risk being left behind by its allies.

“The glacial pace at which Canada appears to be adapting to the realities of modern great power competition has left it far behind the curve, with consequences for both Ottawa’s reputation among its allies and its ability to protect Canadian territory, sovereignty, and contribute to global peace and stability,” said the report, which probed the reasons why Canada was left out of AUKUS.

Rigby also said that when he was Trudeau’s national security and intelligence adviser, he was aware that Canada would not be invited to join the arrangement that became AUKUS just a few months before it was announced.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada isn’t interested in nuclear-powered submarines and dismissed concerns of critics who say Canada’s exclusion from the deal is evidence that other countries don’t believe it is taking the China threat seriously.

Anand said that Canada is interested in co-operation with those allies on quantum computing, AI, and other technology despite being left out of AUKUS.

The countries involved in AUKUS have agreed to discuss sharing that kind of technology separate from the pact on nuclear submarines.

#Canada; #AUKUS; #AdvancedMilitaryTechnology; #ChinaThreat; #AnitaAnand; #QuantumCmputing; #AI; # Australia, #UnitedKingdom; #UnitedStates