// DIGITALISATION, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE & QUANTUM: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
From commitments to coordination: advancing G7 AI governance
I n recent years, progress in domains such as artificial intelligence and quantum technologies – alongside their convergence in emerging quantum AI applications – have offered signifi- cant advances in economic growth and competitiveness. AI has already demon- strated its transformative potential as a key enabler of productivity, innovation and efficiency, and quantum technol- ogies hold the promise of ushering in a new paradigm for digital economies and societies. These technologies are expected to deliver breakthroughs in critical areas such as climate change mitigation, disease modelling, food security, digital financial services and infrastructure. However, these developments also introduce new vulnerabili- ties and risks. AI is associated with an increasing dependence on criti- cal, highly concentrated inputs and infrastructures, as well as persis- tent accountability and governance challenges. Quantum, in turn, could render existing encryption standards ineffective, with significant implica- tions for financial systems, critical infrastructure and national security. The 2025 G7 Kananaskis Summit
marked a major step forward in addressing AI and quantum technolo- gies, with the consensus reached on the G7 Leaders’ Statement on AI for Pros- perity and the Kananaskis Common Vision for the Future of Quantum Tech- nologies (the first ever G7 commitments on this topic). Since then, efforts have increasingly focused on operationalis- ing these commitments, with Canada launching the G7 GovAI Grand Chal- lenge and the G7 AI Network to scale up the use of AI in the public sector, as well as the AI Adoption Roadmap to support small and medium-sized enterprises. Accordingly, G7 governments have made substantial progress in accelerat- ing AI readiness and competitiveness. Notably, the EU’s InvestAI Initiative aims to mobilise €200 billion in invest- ment, Germany has developed a ‘living lab’ for trustworthy AI adoption among SMEs, and France has introduced the ‘Osez l’IA’ plan, with an AI Guarantee Fund (€24 million) to de-risk AI invest- ment for SMEs. MAKING UNEVEN PROGRESS Building on this momentum, the Digital Track under France’s presidency in 2026 demonstrates continuity, particularly
Rapid advances in AI and quantum technologies are reshaping economic competitiveness and security, while exposing gaps in governance and coordination. The challenge lies in translating shared commitments into robust operational frameworks
Federica Marconi, researcher in the Multilateralism and Global Governance programme, Istituto Affari Internazionali
120 // G7 FRANCE: THE ÉVIAN SUMMIT 2026
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