Boosting productivity with AI: The year ahead with Mark Schaan, Canada’s deputy secretary for AI
In this ‘Five Minutes With’ series, we interview senior civil servants about their achievements in 2024 and goals for the year ahead. This interview features Mark Schaan, deputy secretary to the cabinet for artificial intelligence in Canada’s Privy Council Office.
What was your organisation’s top achievement in 2024?
Given our relative nascency, the biggest achievement has probably just been our organisation’s new existence! At the end of July 2024, the clerk of the Privy Council and the prime minister appointed me as the deputy secretary to the Cabinet (Artificial Intelligence) at the Privy Council Office and established our Secretariat to ensure that Canadians benefit from AI’s opportunities while safeguarding against risks.
Since then, I have undertaken extensive engagement with internal and external stakeholders – domestically and internationally – to inform a vision of the AI Secretariat and identify opportunities to advance Canada’s global leadership in the responsible development and adoption of AI.
My newly established team is driving effort, including across five key areas of work: 1. fuelling AI adoption, experimentation and productivity; 2. literacy, talent, skills and labour market solutions; 3. infrastructure and foundational supports; 4. leadership in AI safety and security; and 5. international cooperation.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in 2024?
I think the sheer breadth and opportunity of AI has been the biggest challenge – as a general purpose technology, there is just limitless linkages and applications, and so prioritising and distilling real impact zones has been a challenge. So personally that has meant learning to say no. Still very much learning!
Read more: Delivery driver: how the Canadian Data/AI Challenge makes data dreams come true
What are your priorities for the year ahead?
In 2025, the AI Secretariat will support the government to advance large-scale, signature initiatives that demonstrate Canadian leadership and work to progress back-office solutions for the government that drive productivity within our internal operations and provide efficient services to Canadians.
We will pilot an AI Learning Accelerator program for public servant executives in partnership with the Canada School of Public Service and the Munk School at the University of Toronto, to further operationalise AI projects across the Government of Canada.
While we work to increase AI literacy for Canadians across key domains, we will also proactively pursue skills that align with the future of work and help link the available talent to the AI competencies needed by public and private sectors.
We will also work at ensuring:
- The AI infrastructure, such as C$2bn in compute infrastructure, continues to provide AI researchers and firms with the foundational supports required to do their important work;
- Leadership in AI safety and security to support the preservation of public trust in democratic institutions by seeking to mitigate the safety and security risks while seizing AI’s significant advantages, including collaborating with the Canadian AI Safety Institute; and
- International cooperation including supporting the Canadian G7 Presidency and demonstrate Canada’s AI leadership, while linking these efforts to domestic priorities, including the needs of Canadian provinces and territories.
Read more: Government of Canada names working group on public service productivity
What change would you most like to make to how government uses digital, data and technology in 2025
I think a change I would love to see is to approach digital, data and technology with a meaningful risk mentality and with the room for scale. Too often we see all risks as equal and shut out the room for innovation. To compensate, we adopt small, but without real room for growth and scale – prerequisites I think are necessary to seize our AI advantage. My team is looking to advance this culture in meaningful ways and with impact-oriented approaches.
What would your dream holiday destination be for a break in 2025?
Always a tough one – there is no place like home, and so I will welcome some chances to get to some of my favourite spots in Canada – my hometown of Winnipeg, or further afield. But I am also hoping to get back to some of the places where vibrancy, culture and cuisine come together – like Spain. So we’ll see!
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