Meeting in Montreal on 8 and 9 December 2025, the G7 Ministers responsible for industry, digital affairs and technology adopted a joint declaration setting out the main strategic orientations of the member States in response to the profound transformations driven by artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, the digital economy and the security of supply chains.
Although the declaration is not legally binding, it forms part of a structured normative dynamic. As such, it is intended to exert a significant influence on the development of national public policies, the evolution of sector-specific regulatory frameworks and, more broadly, on the contractual practices and governance models of companies operating in strategic technological and industrial sectors.
The G7 declaration therefore constitutes a key reference document for business leaders and legal departments, insofar as it outlines a shared vision of how technological innovation—and artificial intelligence in particular, should be reconciled with requirements of legal certainty, economic competitiveness and the protection of fundamental interests.
The declaration recognises artificial intelligence as a general-purpose technology capable of durably transforming G7 economies through substantial gains in efficiency, productivity and innovation. This recognition is accompanied by a clear requirement: the development, placing on the market and use of AI systems must be grounded in trust, safety and respect for democratic values.
The G7 reaffirms its commitment to a risk-based approach, encompassing system transparency, technical robustness, data quality, protection of personal data and respect for fundamental rights. The stated objective is to prevent uses that could undermine user trust, disrupt market equilibria or generate legal uncertainty for economic actors.
In this respect, the declaration highlights the importance of clear, coherent and predictable legal frameworks enabling companies to innovate while effectively managing legal risks. It calls for increased convergence of regulatory approaches at the international level, notably through the work of the OECD, in order to limit fragmentation of applicable rules and to secure cross-border investments.
A structuring axis of the declaration concerns the acceleration of artificial intelligence adoption by small and medium-sized enterprises, identified as a key lever for competitiveness, innovation diffusion and inclusive growth. The G7 nevertheless acknowledges that SMEs face specific obstacles, relating both to access to skills and infrastructure and to the understanding and management of legal and regulatory constraints.
The declaration stresses the need to develop supportive ecosystems, bringing together public authorities, private stakeholders, research institutions and training bodies, in order to enable SMEs to integrate AI solutions under legally secure conditions. The challenge is not solely technological, but also legal and organisational.
In this regard, the text emphasises the importance of strengthening companies’ capacity to understand and manage the legal, contractual and compliance implications of AI, in particular with respect to civil liability, governance of automated systems, data protection and the safeguarding of intangible assets. This enhancement of internal capabilities is presented as a prerequisite for sustainable and controlled AI adoption across the economic fabric.
The declaration also underlines the need for balanced contractual relationships between AI solution providers and business users, ensuring a clear allocation of responsibilities, warranties and compliance obligations throughout the value chain.
Against a backdrop of rapidly evolving digital markets, the declaration reaffirms the need to preserve an open, competitive and resilient digital economy. G7 ministers identify several dynamics liable to affect the proper functioning of markets, including lock-in effects, excessive concentration of certain actors and the opacity of algorithmic mechanisms.
In response to these challenges, the declaration highlights the central role of robust, reliable and predictable intellectual property frameworks, presented as a cornerstone of innovation and competitiveness. Intellectual property rights, copyright, patents, trademarks, designs and trade secrets, are viewed as essential instruments for protecting technological investments, while also supporting fair competition.
The text stresses the need to adapt these legal frameworks to new uses associated with artificial intelligence, particularly with regard to the creation, exploitation and valuation of intangible assets generated by or with the assistance of automated systems. This adaptation requires a careful articulation between technological innovation, protection of existing rights and equitable access to markets.
In this context, the declaration calls for enhanced cooperation between competition authorities, intellectual property offices and sectoral regulators, in order to ensure overall coherence between innovation policies, rights protection and digital market regulation.
Finally, the declaration devotes particular attention to issues of economic and technological security, notably in relation to critical supply chains. The G7 emphasises the need to strengthen the resilience of value chains in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, digital infrastructures, quantum technologies and other emerging technologies.
This approach is based on a combination of supply diversification, international cooperation and investment screening mechanisms, in line with multilateral commitments. Its objective is to reduce structural vulnerabilities while preserving openness to trade and the attractiveness of innovation ecosystems.
The declaration also places emphasis on the protection of research and innovation, highlighting challenges related to scientific integrity, knowledge security and the prevention of risks of technological appropriation.
It concludes with a shared commitment to continued international coordination on technology governance, with a view to ensuring a sustainable balance between innovation, legal certainty and economic competitiveness.
