Mark Carney says ‘strands’ of a new world order could be woven at G7 summit

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says the “strands” of a new world order could be woven at the G7 summit next week.

Carney made the remarks during a discussion at Trinity College Dublin while on a six-day trip to Europe.

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In January, the prime minister delivered a speech in Davos calling on middle powers to band together in the face of great powers, which has received global reception.

He says this year’s G7, being held in Évian-les-Bains, will include more than just key members, as other countries from the Gulf states, Kenya, Brazil, Egypt and India will be at the summit.

Carney says other partners will bring a “broader perspective and a broader element of the solution.”

“It’s a recognition that the G7, if it ever did run the world, no longer runs the world or pretends to,” he said.

Carney said there are a few issues that are moving “quite rapidly.” He noted that AI is effectively unregulated, which can cause a host of issues, including child safety and systemic risk to cyber attacks or hacking.

“The importance of sharing the defences, having common standards, not releasing models that have that power before others are ready, that is an imperative. That is something I’m certain we will be discussing at the G7,” he said.

The government of France, who is leading the summit, says priorities at the G7 will include settling major geopolitical crises, including through G7 support to Ukraine, crime and online protection for children.

Earlier this year, French lawmakers approved a bill banning social media for children under 15, as the idea of setting a minimum age for use of the platforms gains momentum across Europe.

The Liberal government introduced its own online safety legislation this week, which would force social media to block access for kids under 16, though platforms will be able to obtain an exemption if they put sufficient safeguards in place.

Bill C-34, introduced Wednesday in the House of Commons, would also regulate the companies behind AI chatbots by imposing on them a duty to act responsibly. That includes measures to lower the risk of chatbots communicating harmful content and putting in place crisis intervention protocols for cases involving self-harm, suicide or violence.

A Canadian government official said this week there will likely not be a comprehensive final communiqué from leaders at the end of the summit, but that people can expect to see issue-specific statements issued by leaders throughout the event instead.

Recent reports by the International Monetary Fund and France’s G7 presidency say global macroeconomic imbalances keep getting worse, and can’t be solved without China. The official said leaders are expected to talk about the future of the global economy and their discussions are likely also to cover China’s industrial overcapacity.

Carney is expected to hold meetings with world leaders at the summit, though it’s still not known if he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.

— with files from Anja Karadeglija

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