Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in the systems that support economic activity, public services, and digital connectivity. Across Canada, governments and private companies are investing billions of dollars in the data centres and computing infrastructure needed to support future AI development. Projects such as QScale’s Q01 campus in Lévis, Quebec, reflect a broader effort to expand domestic AI capacity and reduce reliance on foreign-owned infrastructure.

Much of the current discussion surrounding AI infrastructure has focused on sovereignty, competitiveness, and national security. These are important considerations. However, they also raise a fundamental question: as Canada accelerates investment in domestic AI capacity, what risks may be overlooked in the rush to build? While debates continue over ownership, governance, and sovereignty, far less attention has been paid to the resilience of the physical infrastructure that powers AI systems amid increasingly frequent and costly extreme weather events.

Dependence on Foreign AI Infrastructure

AI is increasingly framed as a major economic opportunity tied to innovation, competitiveness, and the growth of a domestic technology sector capable of attracting investment, talent, and high-skilled employment. AI systems are also becoming more deeply embedded in critical public-sector and economic functions, from government services and infrastructure management to finance, logistics, and communications. Yet much of the current AI ecosystem still depends on advanced computing infrastructure located outside Canada.

Limited domestic AI capacity creates a deep dependency with implications for economic, security, and technological sovereignty. Without sufficient local infrastructure and expertise, governments, businesses, and institutions may increasingly rely on foreign-owned systems governed by external legal, regulatory, and commercial interests. Sensitive data may be subject to foreign jurisdictions, while organizations may have little choice but to adopt technologies shaped by the priorities and standards of other countries. Dependence on a small number of foreign AI providers also creates risks tied to infrastructure concentration, including disruptions caused by trade disputes, export controls, cyber incidents, or infrastructure failures abroad.

Reliance on external AI infrastructure also exposes domestic organizations to pricing volatility, compute limitations, and broader geopolitical uncertainty surrounding advanced technologies. As AI becomes increasingly dependent on compute-intensive systems, advanced computing capacity is becoming a strategic resource rather than simply a commercial service. Over time, dependence on a small number of dominant foreign platforms may also make it more difficult for domestic........

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