rules of the road. An era of AI cannot be another era of “move fast and break things.” As leaders shape this technology, we play a critical role in ensuring secure and responsible approach to AI adoption across business, government and industry. So how do we solve this challenge to ensure that we capture value while managing risk? Importantly, for the public sector, public leadership can set the tone on AI adoption. As AI proliferates consumer life in our business, it’s critical to maintain the public’s trust. Governments worldwide have a heightened sense of urgency on this topic, including here in Canada, where last month we saw the introduction of interim guidelines to bridge the legislative process with Bill C-27 and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act. The key for Canada in this legislation will be to find the right balance between regulations that protect Canadians from the risks of AI while letting innovators leverage a technology that will be crucial in our efforts to solve world issues, will reinvent how we do business, and provide services to citizens. It’s encouraging to see the progress here in Canada, and we’re happy to provide our perspective to the federal government on how these policies should be shaped. While these guidelines and policies are critical for Canada’s long-term success in AI adoption, so too is a plan of action for the public sector to define how AI can transform government and improve digital services for Canadians. Some of this work is already happening here today. Last year, for example, IBM worked with the city of Markham, Ontario, to leverage a virtual assistant to help voters access reliable and accurate information at any time of day about the upcoming municipal election. The initiative built on prior work, which was a Canadian first, where the city of Markham used the same platform to offer 24-hour customer service for residents looking for COVID-19 information through text, chat, and voice calls at any time. But in IBM’s view, no discussion of responsible AI in the public sector is complete without emphasizing the importance of the ethical use of technology throughout its life cycle. This includes design, development and use, and maintenance, with humans at the heart of services delivered by the government. Given where we are today, adoption is accelerating, government progressing on AI policy, we have a window now to establish AI frameworks across organizations that support increased productivity while delivering trusted outcomes. Simply put, we believe Canada can benefit from a blueprint to guide responsible AI adoption, and that the government and the public sector can play a key leadership role in defining this plan. At the foundation of this blueprint is a clear plan and perspective on responsible AI guidelines. This is particularly critical when we consider the potential benefits associated with implementing AI in government operations. For example, AI can help government departments reduce information overload and increase employee productivity by putting vast stores of government data to work, to produce contextualized services and create specific guidance for talent and workforce decisions. This can allow government employees to work on higher-value things. Contextual services for citizens, an area with heightened responsibility and scrutiny, can also be improved. AI and generative AI can be responsibly applied to summarize information, provide personalized responses to citizens’ questions, such eligibility for particular services. How do I apply? What forms do I use? This can all be done through AI applications and generative AI. But at IBM, we deeply believe that trustworthy and responsible AI will lie at the heart of these improvements. To wrap up, IBM has been at the forefront of responsibly introducing groundbreaking technologies for more than a century. Technologies that solve some of the world’s most complex problems, and in many cases lead to a better quality of life for all. For us, responsibility here means we only release technology to the public after understanding its consequences, providing essential guardrails, and ensuring accountability. In short, we believe that addressing the repercussions of these innovations is just as important as the innovations themselves. This approach has never been truer than it is with AI, given the critical role that AI can play in transforming government if it is trusted. We look forward to doing our part and working with leaders like you here in Canada and worldwide to build an AI future that we can all trust. 8 / Canadian Government Executive // SPRING 2024 INTERVIEW
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