N.S. launching 5-person team to help government staff incorporate AI into their work

N.S. launching 5-person team to help government staff incorporate AI into their work

N.S. launching 5-person team to help government staff incorporate AI into their work

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-artificial-intelligence-9.7148369

Publish Date: 2026-04-03 05:00:00

Source Domain: www.cbc.ca

  • Nova Scotia is recruiting a new five-person team to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into provincial government operations, aiming to increase productivity and efficiency.
  • The team, under the leadership of Jennifer LaPlante, deputy minister of cybersecurity and digital solutions, will establish protocols for AI tool use across all government departments.
  • The province is currently developing a responsible use policy to determine which AI tools are permissible for workplace use.
  • Funding for the AI team comes from a province-wide $4.4 million investment in AI capabilities for this fiscal year, including the acquisition of AI software and licensing.
  • The province emphasizes building comprehensive AI use strategies while balancing innovation with the protection of government systems.
  • Nova Scotia has identified AI as a significant area of opportunity, alongside other sectors like defence and energy.
  • The government has launched a free-to-use chatbot named Scottie, powered by AI, to answer questions about government services and help navigate the complex provincial website.
  • Scottie is designed to provide factual information from existing government sources without generating new content.