Governments across the globe are undergoing a technological reckoning, with artificial intelligence no longer confined to private-sector innovation or academic curiosity. The stakes are high: as the pace of AI development accelerates, public service institutions face a stark imperative to adapt or risk falling behind. Nowhere is this transformation more visible—and perhaps more deliberate—than in Canada, where a new initiative is redefining what it means to serve the public in the digital age.
For many Canadian public servants like Rae Haddow, a Rangeland Policy Specialist with British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests, AI arrived not as a planned disruption but as a creeping presence in day-to-day work. Tools powered by AI began surfacing in meetings and shaping policy briefs. Colleagues started to experiment with new applications. The message was clear: artificial intelligence could no longer be dismissed as the domain of data scientists and coders—it was a tool every professional in public administration would need to understand.
“I was intrigued but a bit intimidated,” Haddow admitted. “AI was everywhere, and I realized I had to understand it—not just for myself but to support my colleagues.” Her reaction is emblematic of a broader trend: as AI becomes woven into the fabric of government operations, workers at all levels face a new learning curve, one with profound implications for efficiency, equity, and public trust.
This program, far from being another corporate skills workshop, represents a comprehensive national response to an emergent reality: public institutions must modernize not through mere technical upgrades, but by cultivating fluency and confidence among the people closest to Canada’s democratic mission. The Navigating AI series introduces participants to the fundamentals of Generative AI, explores responsible usage principles, and offers practical exposure to tools like Microsoft Copilot.
Crucially, the program is not a one-way download of information but a living, participatory collaboration among colleagues facing similar uncertainties and challenges.
Sarah Rankin, a Learning Specialist with New Brunswick’s Department of Education, entered the Navigating AI program believing she possessed a solid grasp on technological shifts; her background in educational technology had exposed her to AI’s possibilities. But the series fundamentally changed her perspective—not by overwhelming her with jargon, but by making the opportunities and limitations clear.
“The resources were clear, and the community aspect was huge,” Rankin reflected. She soon found herself applying AI to support teachers in emerging disciplines and to distribute resources across disparate districts. For Rankin, what once felt theoretical suddenly became integral to daily problem-solving: “AI helped me bridge gaps I didn’t even realize we had.”
The sessions quickly evolved beyond lectures. John Paul Lamberti, a Senior Director at Public Services and Procurement Canada, noticed that “people weren’t just signing up because they had to. They were genuinely curious.” Chat functions became informal hubs for sharing tips, crafting AI prompts, and forming peer study groups. For professionals like Julia Hodgins, a Senior Citizen Engagement Analyst, this was the first time she felt truly connected to colleagues tackling similar challenges from coast to coast.
“That chat changed everything,” Hodgins recounted. “It was like the hallway conversation you always want after a presentation, but in real time, with people you’d never otherwise meet.” For Hodgins and many others, AI emerged not as a threat, but as a powerful tool for solving perennial pain points—reducing the cost of translation, expanding accessibility, and generating plain-language content to reach more Canadians more effectively.
This cultural shift toward curiosity and shared experimentation is arguably the most sustainable legacy of the initiative. Across departments, participants are now hosting their own lunch-and-learns, creating resource libraries, and developing prompt templates. Far from a one-off training, Navigating AI has planted the seeds for an ongoing, peer-driven ecosystem—one built on collaboration, mutual support, and a collective desire to deliver better public services.
Navigating AI purposefully anchors its content in responsible innovation. Participants are not only taught how generative AI models work, but also encouraged to interrogate their results—testing for fairness, transparency, and ethical implications. This emphasis on thoughtful deployment ensures that technology is not used for its own sake but to actually amplify government’s core mission of serving the public good.
Experts concur that this responsible approach is not just ideal, but necessary. Numerous studies and independent analyses, including those published by AI ethics think tanks and government watchdogs, underscore the dangers of “black box” decision-making in the public sector. While some early adopters in digital government have faced criticism for rash or superficial implementation of AI, Canada’s deliberate training approach stands as a model for integrating innovation with thoughtful oversight.
Reviews from public sector pilots indicate substantial efficiency gains, with some teams reporting time savings of up to 40% for document creation and initial research tasks when using Copilot—a figure broadly corroborated in industry testing, though context-dependent. Still, trainers caution that Copilot (like all generative AI) is best employed as an augmentation to, not a replacement for, expert human judgment. Participants in the Navigating AI series are encouraged to experiment—but always with an eye toward cross-checking and validating results.
As Julia Hodgins observed, “Don’t fear AI. Learn how to use it to your advantage. Let it make your life easier, but don’t let it do your job for you.” This ethos of digital empowerment—balanced by critical engagement—is essential for maintaining both productivity and public trust.
However, the risks are real and should not be minimized. Not all AI tools are created equal; potential for data leaks, algorithmic bias, and over-reliance on automation remains a live concern. Some union and privacy advocates caution that without robust oversight frameworks, accelerated upskilling could inadvertently encourage inappropriate or premature adoption of AI for sensitive functions. In Canada’s case, ongoing vigilance—including participatory audits, transparent vendor relationships, and regular updates to training materials—is vital to fortify both accountability and adaptability.
Still, independent experts point to Canada as a leading example of inclusive digital transformation. Notably, the country’s approach is being studied by governments in Europe, Australasia, and beyond. Observers highlight the program’s focus on empowerment over enforcement and its deliberate integration of ethics and equity into core training modules. As a result, Navigating AI is emerging not simply as a curriculum, but as a template for future-facing governance.
For countries from Singapore to Sweden grappling with how to “future-proof” their civil service, the Canadian experience provides valuable lessons:
Public servants like Haddow, Rankin, Hodgins, and Lamberti exemplify what is possible when curiosity, community, and a commitment to service converge. As AI continues to reshape the world, these are exactly the qualities—grounded in transparency, responsibility, and public value—that will future-proof not just a workforce, but an entire nation’s approach to democracy and service.
In this new era, knowledge is indeed power, and the courage to learn together may be Canada’s most enduring advantage.
Source: Microsoft Training for Tomorrow: How IPAC’s AI Series is Future-Proofing Public Service - Source Canada
A Changing Landscape: AI in Public Service
For many Canadian public servants like Rae Haddow, a Rangeland Policy Specialist with British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests, AI arrived not as a planned disruption but as a creeping presence in day-to-day work. Tools powered by AI began surfacing in meetings and shaping policy briefs. Colleagues started to experiment with new applications. The message was clear: artificial intelligence could no longer be dismissed as the domain of data scientists and coders—it was a tool every professional in public administration would need to understand.“I was intrigued but a bit intimidated,” Haddow admitted. “AI was everywhere, and I realized I had to understand it—not just for myself but to support my colleagues.” Her reaction is emblematic of a broader trend: as AI becomes woven into the fabric of government operations, workers at all levels face a new learning curve, one with profound implications for efficiency, equity, and public trust.
The Genesis of Navigating AI: Training for Tomorrow
To help bridge this gap, KPMG in Canada’s Skills Development Centre, in partnership with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) and Microsoft Canada, developed “Navigating AI: A Practical Guide for Public Servants”—a four-part training series targeted specifically at the needs and realities of government professionals.This program, far from being another corporate skills workshop, represents a comprehensive national response to an emergent reality: public institutions must modernize not through mere technical upgrades, but by cultivating fluency and confidence among the people closest to Canada’s democratic mission. The Navigating AI series introduces participants to the fundamentals of Generative AI, explores responsible usage principles, and offers practical exposure to tools like Microsoft Copilot.
Crucially, the program is not a one-way download of information but a living, participatory collaboration among colleagues facing similar uncertainties and challenges.
Why AI Literacy is Now Table Stakes for Government
The rationale for investing in broad-based AI training is clear. As public sector institutions are increasingly expected to “do more with less,” the push to modernize is inexorable—and comes with unique ethical obligations. Unlike private enterprises, governments must balance innovation with mandates for transparency, fairness, and inclusion. The AI literacy gap risks undermining these core public values, especially if adoption outpaces understanding.Sarah Rankin, a Learning Specialist with New Brunswick’s Department of Education, entered the Navigating AI program believing she possessed a solid grasp on technological shifts; her background in educational technology had exposed her to AI’s possibilities. But the series fundamentally changed her perspective—not by overwhelming her with jargon, but by making the opportunities and limitations clear.
“The resources were clear, and the community aspect was huge,” Rankin reflected. She soon found herself applying AI to support teachers in emerging disciplines and to distribute resources across disparate districts. For Rankin, what once felt theoretical suddenly became integral to daily problem-solving: “AI helped me bridge gaps I didn’t even realize we had.”
Building a Truly National Conversation
Perhaps one of the most important outcomes of Navigating AI is its ability to spark conversation and collaboration—not just within departments, but across provincial and territorial lines. As David Fulford, CEO at IPAC, remarked, demand for the series was immediate: English-language sessions reached capacity within days, with active chat threads so dynamic that attendance had to be capped to preserve the collaborative spirit.The sessions quickly evolved beyond lectures. John Paul Lamberti, a Senior Director at Public Services and Procurement Canada, noticed that “people weren’t just signing up because they had to. They were genuinely curious.” Chat functions became informal hubs for sharing tips, crafting AI prompts, and forming peer study groups. For professionals like Julia Hodgins, a Senior Citizen Engagement Analyst, this was the first time she felt truly connected to colleagues tackling similar challenges from coast to coast.
“That chat changed everything,” Hodgins recounted. “It was like the hallway conversation you always want after a presentation, but in real time, with people you’d never otherwise meet.” For Hodgins and many others, AI emerged not as a threat, but as a powerful tool for solving perennial pain points—reducing the cost of translation, expanding accessibility, and generating plain-language content to reach more Canadians more effectively.
From Awareness to Action: The Cultural Shift
What sets Navigating AI apart is its focus on more than just tactical skills. Participants like Haddow began to notice a subtle, but important, cultural transformation in their workplaces. “These sessions didn’t just provide tools,” she said. “They cultivated a mindset. People started coming to me with ideas rather than just questions.”This cultural shift toward curiosity and shared experimentation is arguably the most sustainable legacy of the initiative. Across departments, participants are now hosting their own lunch-and-learns, creating resource libraries, and developing prompt templates. Far from a one-off training, Navigating AI has planted the seeds for an ongoing, peer-driven ecosystem—one built on collaboration, mutual support, and a collective desire to deliver better public services.
Responsible AI: Balancing Adoption and Accountability
Amidst the excitement, the challenges inherent in government AI adoption are not ignored. Canada, though ambitious in its digital transformation, must contend with the same risks that accompany broader AI integration everywhere: bias in algorithms, opaque decision-making, and the potential for diminished accountability.Navigating AI purposefully anchors its content in responsible innovation. Participants are not only taught how generative AI models work, but also encouraged to interrogate their results—testing for fairness, transparency, and ethical implications. This emphasis on thoughtful deployment ensures that technology is not used for its own sake but to actually amplify government’s core mission of serving the public good.
Experts concur that this responsible approach is not just ideal, but necessary. Numerous studies and independent analyses, including those published by AI ethics think tanks and government watchdogs, underscore the dangers of “black box” decision-making in the public sector. While some early adopters in digital government have faced criticism for rash or superficial implementation of AI, Canada’s deliberate training approach stands as a model for integrating innovation with thoughtful oversight.
The Microsoft Copilot Factor: Practical AI for Everyday Problems
Integral to the program’s relevancy is direct exposure to AI tools currently being used within and across government departments. Microsoft Copilot, an advanced AI assistant built on OpenAI’s GPT technologies, is a prime example. Copilot has already earned praise for its ability to summarize documents, draft policy briefs, and automate routine tasks—capabilities especially attractive to civil servants swamped by information overload.Reviews from public sector pilots indicate substantial efficiency gains, with some teams reporting time savings of up to 40% for document creation and initial research tasks when using Copilot—a figure broadly corroborated in industry testing, though context-dependent. Still, trainers caution that Copilot (like all generative AI) is best employed as an augmentation to, not a replacement for, expert human judgment. Participants in the Navigating AI series are encouraged to experiment—but always with an eye toward cross-checking and validating results.
As Julia Hodgins observed, “Don’t fear AI. Learn how to use it to your advantage. Let it make your life easier, but don’t let it do your job for you.” This ethos of digital empowerment—balanced by critical engagement—is essential for maintaining both productivity and public trust.
Measuring the Impact: Results, Risks, and Replicability
What does success look like for a government AI training initiative of this scale? Metrics used by IPAC and its partners suggest high rates of satisfaction and post-training engagement: session overviews show a sustained rise in AI-focused collaboration across departmental boundaries, with many participants voluntarily forming ongoing study groups and resource-sharing communities. Qualitative feedback emphasizes newfound confidence, improved interdepartmental communication, and a growing sense of digital readiness.However, the risks are real and should not be minimized. Not all AI tools are created equal; potential for data leaks, algorithmic bias, and over-reliance on automation remains a live concern. Some union and privacy advocates caution that without robust oversight frameworks, accelerated upskilling could inadvertently encourage inappropriate or premature adoption of AI for sensitive functions. In Canada’s case, ongoing vigilance—including participatory audits, transparent vendor relationships, and regular updates to training materials—is vital to fortify both accountability and adaptability.
Still, independent experts point to Canada as a leading example of inclusive digital transformation. Notably, the country’s approach is being studied by governments in Europe, Australasia, and beyond. Observers highlight the program’s focus on empowerment over enforcement and its deliberate integration of ethics and equity into core training modules. As a result, Navigating AI is emerging not simply as a curriculum, but as a template for future-facing governance.
Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in Public Service
If the early signs are any indication, Navigating AI represents more than a technological fix—it is a cultural catalyst. Participants are not only acquiring practical skills, but also challenging siloed thinking and embracing a growth mindset aligned with the realities of a rapidly evolving digital world.For countries from Singapore to Sweden grappling with how to “future-proof” their civil service, the Canadian experience provides valuable lessons:
- Begin with people, not just policy. Training should empower frontline staff to shape and refine AI applications, not simply receive directives.
- Focus on responsible innovation. Programs must integrate robust training on ethics, bias, and accountability alongside technical skills.
- Foster a culture of collaboration. Real breakthroughs come from conversation, cross-pollination, and ongoing peer engagement—not static content delivery.
- Prioritize adaptability. As AI evolves, so too must the public sector’s understanding and use of these tools; continuous learning is imperative.
- Balance ambition with caution. The risks of AI in government are serious and must be met with transparency, inclusivity, and ongoing evaluation.
Conclusion: A People Story at the Heart of Progress
As John Paul Lamberti succinctly put it, “AI isn’t just a tech story. It’s a people story.” The true promise of public sector AI in Canada and beyond lies not in the sophistication of any single tool, but in the collective capacity and confidence of the people who use them. With initiatives like Navigating AI, Canada is charting a middle path—one where innovation is pursued with humanity and purpose.Public servants like Haddow, Rankin, Hodgins, and Lamberti exemplify what is possible when curiosity, community, and a commitment to service converge. As AI continues to reshape the world, these are exactly the qualities—grounded in transparency, responsibility, and public value—that will future-proof not just a workforce, but an entire nation’s approach to democracy and service.
In this new era, knowledge is indeed power, and the courage to learn together may be Canada’s most enduring advantage.
Source: Microsoft Training for Tomorrow: How IPAC’s AI Series is Future-Proofing Public Service - Source Canada
