Canada at a Crossroads: AI Sovereignty in a Shifting Global Order
In the face of growing geopolitical tensions, Canada—like many nations—is confronting the risks of heavy reliance on foreign technology platforms. As global allies re-evaluate the resilience of their economies and digital infrastructure, talk of deglobalization is gaining momentum. Is Canada prepared? Are we comfortable with so much of our digital ecosystem—data residency, infrastructure, and AI supply chains—controlled beyond our borders?
While other regions move with urgency, Canada faces a critical moment. Artificial Intelligence—hailed as the greatest productivity breakthrough of our time—is a space we’ve long led in, yet it comes with serious risks, as highlighted by the 2024 Global AI Safety Summits and Canada’s own Geoffrey Hinton. With a federal election on the horizon in 2025, the question is clear: how can Canada take control of its digital future?
Join us for a dynamic luncheon event, hosted in partnership with the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), where leaders will dig into what AI sovereignty really means for Canada’s economy, innovation, and independence. From boardrooms to Cabinet tables, this timely conversation will explore how Canada can take the lead in shaping its AI future on its own terms.
Date: May 14, 2025
Time: Noon - 1:30 p.m. (Doors open 11:30 a.m.)
Location: Chateau Laurier - Adam Room (1 Rideau St, Ottawa, ON)
Panel Moderator:
- Sean Silcoff, Technology and Life Sciences Reporter, The Globe and Mail
Panelists:
- Erin Kelly, Co-Founder & CEO, Advanced Symbolics, AskPolly
- Craig McLellan, Founder & CEO, ThinkOn
- Niraj Bhargava, Co-Founder & CEO, NuEnergy.ai
SPEAKER BIOS
Erin Kelly is CEO and co-founder of Advanced Symbolics Inc. (ASI), a company that uses Artificial Intelligence for augmented human behavior research and prediction.
ASI’s patented AI, named “Polly”, is the A.I. for unbiased social media research, as ASI is the only company in the world that can produce randomized, controlled, statistically valid sample populations on social media for audience research.
Polly quickly catapulted to fame in 2016 after correctly predicting both BREXIT and the Trump election and is also well known globally for her work in pandemic prediction, pharmaceutical research and mental health. In the consumer market research space Polly is the AI of choice for leading Fortune 1000 companies including Disney, Mastercard and GM.
Polly was recently featured in the award-winning documentary Margin of Error, which profiles the predictive power of AI and has been shown to audiences throughout North America and Western Europe.
Erin is frequently called on by national and international media for her insights into AI and its future impacts on society.
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Craig McLellan is the Founder and CEO of ThinkOn, a Canadian cloud services provider specializing in secure data management and sovereign cloud infrastructure. With over 25 years of experience in technology innovation across North America, Craig is widely recognized as a pioneer in cloud computing and a leading advocate for data sovereignty in Canada.
Under his leadership, ThinkOn has become one of Canada’s fastest-growing technology firms, earning recognition from Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50™ and The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business. ThinkOn was also named VMware’s Sovereign Cloud Partner for Canada—reflecting its commitment to protecting Canadian data under Canadian jurisdiction.
Craig plays a vital role in national conversations around digital trust, cybersecurity, and public policy. He has been outspoken about the risks posed by foreign legislation like the U.S. CLOUD Act and is an active proponent of procurement policies that prioritize Canadian-controlled infrastructure.
He has served on advisory boards for a number of global technology companies including VMware, Veeam, and Hitachi, where he provides strategic insight informed by a deep understanding of enterprise and government needs.
Through his leadership at ThinkOn, Craig continues to advance a vision for a secure, sovereign digital future for Canada—one where innovation is paired with responsibility, and data remains under Canadian control.
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Niraj Bhargava (P.Eng, MBA, ICD.D) is the Co-Founder, CEO, and Executive Chair of NuEnergy.ai, and a Co-Chair of Canada’s AI Sovereignty & Innovation Cluster (CAISIC). NuEnergy.ai is a Canadian-headquartered global leader in practical AI governance, with its patented Machine Trust Index and Machine Trust Platform providing independent third-party metrics for AI trust and transparency across the AI lifecycle. Niraj is a serial entrepreneur, former multinational executive, and business school dean, with over 30 years of experience in technology, business creation, and leadership.
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Sean Silcoff writes about technology and life sciences for the Globe and Mail. He is the winner of three National Newspaper Awards and is the co-author of Losing the Signal: the Spectacular Rise and Fall of BlackBerry, which was released in May 2015. Losing the Signal won Canada’s National Business Book Award and was shortlisted for the international Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year. It was also adapted into the 2023 film "BlackBerry." Sean joined the Globe and Mail in January 2012; he previously worked as a columnist and Montreal correspondent for the National Post and as a staff writer at Canadian Business Magazine. He began his reporting career covering courts and crime in Cornwall, Ontario.