AI-Enabled Government: Disruption or Dysfunction?

Based on discussions and surveys with public sector employees, this article examines some of the key challenges facing the Government of Canada in seeking to leverage AI as a lever for public sector innovation and reform. As AI investments expand, it remains to be seen whether the public service is viewed as a partner or a patient in moving forward. New investments into organizational readiness, meaningful employee and stakeholder engagement, and thoughtful and demographically tailored training initiatives are all necessary enablers of AI-driven innovation - and positive disruption. With them, by contrast, AI imposition will fuel resentment, confusion, and widespread dysfunction.