Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming economies and societies, but its full potential is hampered by poor access to quality data and models. AI and data management has become a fundamental aspect of public sector governance and operations around the world.
Canada is making significant progress in AI governance within the federal and provincial public services, but interoperability across levels of government remains a challenge due to the lack of detailed frameworks for interoperability between federal, provincial, and municipal levels.
These factors contribute to increased costs and reduced efficiency at all levels of government, increase administrative burdens for citizens, businesses, and governments themselves, limit the potential for innovation, and hinder digital sovereignty.
Data interoperability is critical to the effective development and implementation of public policies at all levels of government. This necessity is even more compelling at a time when we are faced with an imminent and direct threat to our sovereignty through a targeted and incremental use of economic force by the current U.S. administration.
As the Prime Minister and First Ministers acknowledged on February 5, “the current pause in proposed U.S. tariffs is an important opportunity to build a long-term prosperity agenda for Canada. The latest timeline indicates that this pause will end March 4 when the U. S.A.” fires the first salvo” with 25% percent tariffs on Canada.
For this prosperity agenda to become a reality and deliver results, the time has come to build bridges for the reform of government-to-government relations in Canada and for the federal and provincial governments to work together to treat data as a common strategic asset.
The existential crisis facing Canada is a brutal reminder of the vulnerability of our national cohesion, our economy, and the dysfunction of Canada’s intergovernmental relations in the design and implementation of relevant public policies. It is worth noting that the thirty-one federal-provincial-territorial sectoral tables managed by the PCO Intergovernmental Office reflect the siloed organizations within each jurisdiction. None of these tables focus on data as a common strategic asset and digital transformation through AI.
Ensuring seamless data interoperability between federal and provincial jurisdictions is paramount for the formulation of a comprehensive long-term prosperity agenda and the establishment of a robust and competitive internal market.
The creation of a Canadian AI Interoperability Council is overdue as a permanent forum for senior federal, provincial, and territorial officials responsible for AI and data governance.
By enhancing data sharing across government levels, Canada can effectively reduce administrative barriers, streamline processes, and foster a seamless economic integration within our crucial single market and strengthen Canada’s economic resilience against external disruptions, such as rising hostile U.S. protectionism.
For more information, please connect with Alain Dudoit on LinkedIn.
