Kevin O’Leary, a Canadian venture capitalist and investor on the show “Shark Tank,” thinks that the United States, Canada, and Mexico will work together more because of the competition with China. He says that the United States, Canada, and Mexico will put their differences aside.
This is because they need to work in key areas such as artificial intelligence, energy, technology, and infrastructure. The need to compete with China will take precedence over differences.
In a video clip shared on his X and Instagram accounts, O’Leary said the only force powerful enough to drive deeper economic integration in North America is the fear of China’s rapid rise. He argued that concerns over China gaining an advantage in AI, technology, warfare capabilities, and power generation will encourage the three nations to work together.
“As the race for AI, energy, and critical infrastructure accelerates, economic reality will outweigh political disagreements because the United States, Canada, and Mexico are stronger when they work together,” O’Leary said in the caption of the X post.
I believe fear of China, not politics, will ultimately bring North America back together. As the race for AI, energy, and critical infrastructure accelerates, economic reality will outweigh political disagreements because the United States, Canada, and Mexico are stronger when… pic.twitter.com/Dp8PiJs1x8
— Kevin O’Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) July 26, 2026
He highlighted the different strengths each country brings to the alliance. “Canada has the energy and critical minerals, the United States has the scale and innovation, and Mexico plays a vital role in the North American economy,” he said in the video. “In the long run, cooperation is not just good policy, it’s an economic necessity.”
China’s Growing Challenge in AI, Energy, and Technology
O’Leary’s comments come as China continues to strengthen its position in several strategic industries. The country has been competing closely with the US in artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, advanced technology, and energy production. It raises concerns among business leaders about maintaining America’s global advantage.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently highlighted China’s growing energy capacity in an interview with The Economist, saying that China already produces significantly more electricity than the United States. Musk also suggested that if China had sufficient computing power, it could potentially become the global leader in AI.
American AI companies have also warned about China narrowing the gap in artificial intelligence development. OpenAI and Anthropic have pointed to the progress of Chinese AI laboratories, with models such as Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3 receiving attention for achieving advanced capabilities comparable to leading AI systems.
North American Industries Face Increasing Competition
The competition with China extends beyond AI and energy into the electric vehicle market. Automotive executives, including Ford CEO Jim Farley, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, have repeatedly discussed the strength of Chinese automakers and their ability to develop competitive electric vehicles.
Despite these shared economic challenges, North America remains politically and economically divided. The region has faced renewed tensions after President Donald Trump imposed another round of tariffs, including 50% tariffs on certain goods from Canada in July.
O’Leary’s Push for AI Infrastructure
O’Leary’s comments also come as he continues to advocate for expanded data center development. His venture capital firm, O’Leary Ventures, is working on large-scale data center projects in Utah and Canada, although some of these developments have faced opposition from local communities.
As the global race for AI infrastructure and energy resources intensifies, O’Leary believes cooperation among the US, Canada, and Mexico will become increasingly necessary to counter China’s growing influence.
