Provinces ‘drawing on solutions already developed by each of the two governments rather than starting from scratch’
Alberta and Quebec have signed a five-year agreement to share artificial intelligence tools, training programs and governance frameworks across their public services – a development showing an early model for how large employers can standardize AI training and policy at scale.
The Operational Cooperation Agreement in the Field of Artificial Intelligence was signed in Quebec City by Alberta's Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, Quebec's Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Technology, France-Élaine Duranceau, and Quebec's Minister Responsible for Canadian Relations, Jean Boulet, the Alberta government said.
A joint steering committee, with two representatives from each province, will develop a shared work plan, identify joint pilot projects and report progress back to the ministers, according to the Alberta government. The deal builds on years of collaboration between the two provinces at the federal-provincial-territorial table of ministers responsible for digital government, cybersecurity and AI.
Under the agreement, the provinces will share AI strategies, policies and governance approaches, along with pooled training materials and workforce development resources, the Alberta government said. Where practical, the two governments will also share technological assets such as source code, tools and documentation.
Recently, the Alberta government said it plans to replace 185 aging systems within one ministry with 16 modern applications it will own outright – part of a broader technology overhaul that HR professionals should note for how quickly AI-driven restructuring can compress workforce retraining timelines inside large organizations.
Training and terms
Since launching in September 2025, the Alberta AI Academy has trained more than 2,000 public servants, and more than 15,000 people across Canada have used the platform, according to the Alberta government. Trainees have included public servants from Alberta, other provinces and the federal government.
Alberta has deployed Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini to government staff, supported by usage and governance policies, and has published the Velocity White Papers, 21 open-source technical papers described as a blueprint for using AI agents to modernize aging government systems.
The agreement is in force for five years and can be terminated by either party with 60 days' written notice, the Alberta government said.
Glubish said the agreement builds on Alberta's existing progress. "Alberta has built incredible momentum putting AI to work for Albertans. The Alberta AI Academy has trained thousands of people, our Velocity White Papers give any government a step-by-step playbook for using AI to modernize aging systems, and we are building enterprise-grade applications faster and at up to 95 per cent less cost to taxpayers," he said.
"Quebec is accomplishing amazing things of its own. This agreement is about sharing best practices, tools, techniques, training and technology, so together we can move faster, deliver better results for citizens and save taxpayers money."
Duranceau said the partnership supports Quebec's own modernization goals.
"This collaboration fully reflects our commitment to building a simpler, higher-performing, and more efficient government. By pooling our expertise, Quebec and Alberta are drawing on solutions already developed by each of the two governments rather than starting from scratch. Artificial intelligence will allow us to speed up the processing of files, requests, and applications, in order to more effectively meet the needs of Quebecers," she said.
Recently, more than 200 economists and researchers – including 15 Nobel laureates – urged governments and employers to build labour-market safeguards before large-scale AI job displacement occurs.
