A government program called the “Public Service Data/AI Challenge” which asks Canadian federal government employees how they think Canada can use AI to streamline and improve public services.
This program is now accepting its third wave of proposals. In the 2022-23 year, users proposed an idea to use ChatGPT to overhaul the Department of Agriculture’s search function and that new software is already up and running. In the following year, a team took on the task of merging various data sets from Natural Resources Canada to understand how different interventions affect domestic energy efficiency.
The government agency behind this program is looking for new ideas, and you can apply here. The first stage that we are in now is when people put forward new ideas. The second stage, which will be announced at a later date, is when people will be put into teams and attached to the most promising ideas to assess viability. The third and final stage is when workers get to actually develop and refine their ideas and pitch them to the judges to see which ones will be given enough support to reach full implementation.
“Think about all the things that you could do if you use data in a different way, then go for it! You don’t need to have all the answers or a fully-baked idea to enter,” said Elise Legendre, chief data officer of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, in a report on the Global Government Forum.
Canada’s chief data officer, Stephan Burt, said, “Even if you don’t have your own idea for how to better use data, you can still get involved: our teams need people with all kinds of skills, from a wide range of organisations and at all levels of seniority. It’s a brilliant opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary, cross-departmental team with people from across the public service, while learning how to develop and introduce digital technologies. These are going to be crucial skills over the coming years.”
Source: Global Government Forums, Public Service Data/AI Challenge
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