Rae Haddow wasn’t expecting artificial intelligence to change the way she worked. As a Rangeland Policy Specialist with British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests, her focus has always been on legislation and land – not algorithms. But the pace of change caught her off guard. AI tools were showing up in meetings and policy briefs. Colleagues were starting to experiment. Suddenly, she felt behind.
“I was intrigued but a bit intimidated,” Haddow said. “AI was everywhere, and I realized I had to understand it – not just for myself but to support my colleagues.”
Her search for clarity led her to Navigating AI: A Practical Guide for Public Servants, a four-part training series created by KPMG in Canada’s Skills Development centre, delivered in collaboration with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) and Microsoft Canada. Designed for government professionals, the program offers exposure to Generative AI fundamentals, responsible usage principles, and new tools like Microsoft Copilot.
More than a training course, the Navigating AI series is a national response to a growing reality: that governments, like businesses, must adapt to a world where AI is rapidly reshaping the nature of work and changing how public services are delivered.
A National Need, Not a Niche Skill
Public sector institutions are increasingly being asked to do more with less. The pressure to modernize is real. And the need to do so responsibly, with transparency and inclusion at the forefront, is urgent.
The series is helping to close that gap. Through a mix of literacy building, prompt writing, analyzing data for policy development, and conversations about ethical deployment, it equips public servants with the confidence to approach AI not as a threat, but as a tool that can support better decision-making and service delivery.
Sarah Rankin saw that potential right away. A Learning Specialist with New Brunswick’s Department of Education, Rankin came into the program after finishing a master’s degree in educational technology. She thought she already had a grasp on generative AI’s possibilities, but the program changed how she thought about its role in government.
“I thought it would be overwhelming,” she said. “But it turned out to be incredibly practical. The resources were clear, and the community aspect was huge.”
Rankin began using AI to support teachers working in unfamiliar fields, like digital agriculture, and to help share resources across districts. What felt theoretical before suddenly felt actionable. “AI helped me bridge gaps I didn’t even realize we had.”
Building a Cross-Canada Conversation
“When Navigating AI launched, interest was immediate,” said David Fulford, Chief Executive Officer at IPAC. “The English-language sessions reached capacity within days. There were so many comments in the chat to the point where we had to cap attendance to preserve the collaborative spirit of the sessions. But the level of enthusiasm was strong and word kept spreading.”
In Ontario, John Paul Lamberti, Senior Director of Infrastructure Asset Management with Public Services and Procurement Canada, noticed the momentum building.
“People weren’t just signing up because they had to,” he said. “They were genuinely curious.”
The sessions’ open chat function became a hub of knowledge-sharing. Attendees traded tips, exchanged prompts, and even formed informal study groups that continued after the training ended. For some, it was the first time they’d felt connected to colleagues working on similar challenges in different provinces.
That’s what struck Julia Hodgins, a Senior Citizen Engagement Analyst in British Columbia. She joined the series to explore how AI might support accessibility efforts, things like simplifying language or translating surveys.
“That chat changed everything,” she said. “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, AI became a way to fill long-standing service gaps. She highlighted how it could reduce the cost of multilingual translation and generate plain-language summaries to help make public services more accessible to more people.
Turning Curiosity into Capability
The most lasting change may not be the specific tools learned but the cultural shift that followed. Haddow, for example, began noticing a change in how her colleagues approached their work.
“These sessions didn’t just provide tools,” she said. “They cultivated a mindset. People started coming to me with ideas rather than just questions.”
That culture shift is showing up across departments. Some participants are hosting internal lunch-and-learns. Others have built resource libraries or shared prompt templates. The training planted the seeds of a self-sustaining ecosystem—one built on curiosity, collaboration, and a shared desire to serve better.
“Even if you’re not going to use AI directly,” Haddow said, “having that background so you’re not ignorant of what’s happening is huge. Knowledge is power. It can help us stay out of trouble as much as it can help us be efficient.”
A Leadership Opportunity for Canada
Canada isn’t the only country thinking about AI in government. But it’s one of the few with the infrastructure, trust, and public sector talent to do it right. Smart AI adoption, done with intention, transparency, and citizen benefit in mind, is emerging as a key advantage for countries that want to lead on innovation and public value.
“Don’t fear AI,” Hodgins said. “Learn how to use it to your advantage. Let it make your life easier, but don’t let it do your job for you.”
That balance between embracing innovation and preserving accountability is exactly where Canada’s strength lies. Navigating AI is showing what it looks like when a country builds from the inside out: equipping public servants with the tools and training they need to lead responsibly in a rapidly evolving world.
“AI isn’t just a tech story,” said Lamberti. “It’s a people story.”