HUMAN INTELLIGENCE COMES FIRST
by Patrick Sauriol
In a remarkably short period of time, artificial intelligence has gone from something we mostly encountered in science fiction to a technology that is rapidly becoming part of our everyday lives.
Every day, we hear about new developments in AI. Researchers are using it to tackle complex mathematical and scientific problems. Businesses are investing heavily in AI infrastructure and data centres. And across the creative industries, artists, writers, musicians, and other creators are asking important questions about how AI will affect their work, their livelihoods, and the value we place on human creativity.
AI is no longer a distant possibility. It is here, and it is developing quickly.
That means city leaders need to start asking an important question: What role should artificial intelligence play in the way our city is managed and governed?
This discussion is about much more than deciding whether to allow an AI data centre in Vancouver.
It is also about the AI systems that are already becoming capable of influencing how cities operate.
AI has the potential to:
create modelling tools that help Vancouver decide where more resilient green spaces and tree canopies can be placed in the city to help address climate change
help city staff identify infrastructure problems before they become expensive emergencies
help us deliver public services more efficiently and quickly to residents
There are real opportunities here.
But the same technology could also be used in ways that limit privacy, reduce human oversight, or make decisions about residents without sufficient transparency or accountability.
AI is a tool. And like any powerful tool, how we choose to use it matters.
TEAM’s Position on AI Data Centres
At the heart of TEAM’s philosophy is the belief that residents matter.
To that end, TEAM advocates for a moratorium on AI data centre development in Vancouver.
We need to have a serious public discussion about AI data centres and what their presence could mean for Vancouver.
Vancouver already has data centres. But AI-focused data centres can have substantially different infrastructure requirements. High-performance computing can require significant amounts of electricity and cooling capacity, and depending on the facility, there can be questions around noise, heat, water use, and the demands placed on our electrical system.
So we need to ask some basic questions before we make decisions.
If an AI data centre is proposed for Vancouver, what responsibility should private corporations have for the additional demands they place on our electrical infrastructure?
How will the facility be cooled?
What implications could its water requirements have?
How will noise and other impacts on surrounding neighbourhoods be addressed?
And perhaps most importantly: Where, if anywhere, should AI data centres be permitted within Vancouver - and under what conditions?
These aren't questions that should be answered after the fact. They should be part of the conversation before major decisions are made.
We want to establish a thoughtful, transparent process that allows residents, experts, businesses, and leaders from various levels of government and organizations to examine the opportunities and the risks—and then make informed decisions.
That first discussion can become the foundation for a broader AI policy for Vancouver. And that policy should not be something we write once and put on a shelf. AI will continue to evolve over the next four years and far beyond. Our policies need to evolve with it.
TEAM’s Position on the Use of Microsoft Copilot in Schools
Microsoft’s Copilot is software that acts as an AI assistant for teachers and students. It can help instructors save time on prepping class work and administrative tasks; and for students the software can help students prepare for tests, do research, and assist with understanding lessons.
However, there are questions surrounding the fast implementation of using Copilot in schools and if it’s fostering over-reliance on technology for students to learn, and a concern over data privacy.
TEAM would halt the rollout of Microsoft Copilot 13+ in secondary schools until transparent research and supporting data show that the benefits outweigh the risks, and students, families and educators have been meaningfully consulted.
TEAM’s Recommendation for a City AI Policy Plan
We want Vancouver to be among the first cities to have an ongoing, meaningful conversation with its residents about how artificial intelligence and other advancing technologies should, and should not, be used by their city government.
TEAM’s goal is straightforward: How do we use technology to improve people's lives, make government more efficient, reduce unnecessary costs, create opportunities, and build a better city - while keeping human beings at the centre of the decisions that affect them?
Residents should have a voice not only in the decisions being made today, but in the decisions about the echnologies that will shape our city tomorrow.
Let's make Vancouver a city that looks ahead rather than waiting for the future to arrive.
Let's be proactive about finding ways technology can improve our city, strengthen public services, reduce costs, and create new opportunities.
But let's also be thoughtful about the limits we put on that technology.
Let's make sure privacy matters.
Let's make sure accountability matters.
Let's make sure human judgment matters.
And above all, let's make sure that people come before technology - not the other way around.
We have an opportunity to establish the groundwork for how Vancouver approaches artificial intelligence, not just for the next election cycle, but for the years and decades ahead.
Let's make Vancouver a city known around the world not just for our incredible green parks and streets, our access to the ocean and mountains, but in how to adopt new technology and use it wisely, responsibly, and for the benefit of the people who call this city home.
Five Starting Points for a Civic AI Policy
Residents deserve transparency. If our city uses an AI system to help make or recommend a decision that affects people's lives, residents should be told that AI was involved and, when appropriate, understand what role it played.
Important decisions must remain accountable to Vancouver residents. AI should not independently make final decisions involving people's rights, access to essential services, enforcement, or significant financial consequences. There must always be meaningful human oversight.
We need safeguards for privacy and security. Our city’s government has access to sensitive information about residents, businesses, properties, and public services. We need clear rules about what information can be provided to AI systems, how it is protected, and who is responsible when something goes wrong.
AI systems need to be tested for accuracy and fairness. An algorithm can process information quickly, but that does not mean its recommendation is automatically correct. Before deploying AI in consequential city services, we should understand its limitations, monitor its performance, and provide a way for people to challenge decisions. Returning to the second point, supervision of humans must be involved at every step of a process using AI.
The public should have a voice in how these technologies are used. Major uses of AI should not appear out of nowhere. Residents deserve an open discussion about where AI belongs in city government and where it doesn't.
Patrick Sauriol is a life-long Vancouverite with four decades of experience and entrepreneurship in the digital world. He is running for City Council with TEAM for a Livable Vancouver.
Learn more about TEAM’s platform on AI in our Environment and Schools policies.
