UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Forge Alliance on AI Risks and Defence in Liverpool

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham attend the League Cup football match between Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers in Liverpool, England, on September 16, 2026.

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 stated on Wednesday that the leaders agreed governments and the tech sector must partner to ensure online safety and counter the risks of artificial intelligence. The meeting took place days after Burnham’s spokesperson welcomed growing discussion among AI companies regarding the technology’s hazards.

“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, emphasizing that policy decisions must be grounded in evidence rather than speculation, as existing regulatory frameworks may prove insufficient.

Neither the United Kingdom nor Canada currently enforces a dedicated law governing artificial intelligence. Britain has pursued a pro-innovation, sector-led approach since March 2023, while Canada’s Artificial Intelligence and Data Act lapsed following a parliamentary suspension in January 2025.

In terms of defence, talks focused on aligning British and Canadian blueprints for an allied military financing bank, alongside Canada applying to the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force and joining the Global Combat Air Programme as an observer.

Additionally, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed that Canada become the EU’s first associate member as Ottawa looks to strengthen ties with Europe amid trade tensions with the United States.