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As AI tools become more accessible, the N.W.T. gov't works to develop policy on their use
The N.W.T. government is working to develop a policy for its use of artificial intelligence tools, with some initial guidelines expected at the end of this month.
The question of how AI should be used is one that governments, businesses and organizations all over are grappling with as the technology becomes more accessible — in particular, generative AI tools like ChatGPT which can create new text, images, and other media.
Currently, N.W.T. government workers are directed to follow the federal government's guide on the use of AI when using such tools in the workplace. The territory is now working to develop its own policy.
A statement from the N.W.T. department of finance says that the territorial government sees potential for AI applications to be used in "administrative process automation, data analysis, and software development," but also notes that careful human oversight will be required when using AI tools for anything involving sensitive personal information, critical infrastructure, and significant policy decisions.
AI use will also be subject to the territory's information management policies, the government says.
Whether certain AI applications will be approved for use by the territorial government is unclear. The N.W.T. government says it has not yet established a formal list of approved AI suppliers, and the work to evaluate suppliers that meet security and privacy standards is ongoing.
AI and N.W.T. lawyers
Meanwhile, the territory's legal society is also looking at how to effectively and responsibly use the technology.
In January, the Law Society of the Northwest Territories issued its own guidelines for the use of AI by N.W.T. lawyers. It includes an overview of different AI models that are designed for the legal profession to use for drafting and reviewing documents.
The guidelines note that transparency with clients is key, along with research into different applications. The law society also notes that checking generated content for any bias is crucial.
"This requires thoroughly reviewing and refining any outputs to remove biased language or inaccuracies, as unchecked use of AI-generated content could inadvertently lead to harmful outcomes," the guidelines read.
In a statement, the N.W.T. Department of Justice said that the territory's court services currently "do not have any policies, guidelines or directives, that address the use of AI."
Earlier this year the Northwest Territories Law Foundation, which collects the interest from lawyers' trust accounts and then distributes that money back to the public through various law-related initiatives, gave some money to CanLII to incorporate AI-generated summaries of N.W.T. cases and laws. CanLII (Canadian Legal Information Institute) is a public-domain online database of Canadian court decisions, laws, and legislative documents.
"The CanLII grant was made on the basis of legal education, to try and make law more accessible to members of the public who might not have a legal education," said Morgan Fane, director of the N.W.T. Law Foundation.
Fane, a Crown prosecutor, says he doesn't use AI tools in his own professional practice. He also says that he thinks most lawyers would prefer to do their research without using AI.
Creating a 'better public service'
Adegboyega Ojo, the Canada Research Chair in Governance and Artificial Intelligence, says right now governments are looking to establish trust with the public when it comes to the ethical use of the technology.
He would like to see territorial and provincial governments working alongside research institutes and universities to determine how AI could be used to tackle regional priorities.
"They need a partner that could help them understand, navigate that journey… I think it's critical in terms of, if you're going to see any meaningful development here," said Ojo.
Ojo said he thinks AI can be used to increase efficiency within the public service, without cutting jobs.
"Hopefully that creates a better public service fundamentally rather than just a smaller government."
Ojo said that determining which AI applications are best to use can be complicated, but that it boils down to transparency. For example, he pointed to companies that provide model cards, which provide detail about what data an application was trained on, as well as other ethical considerations and key information.
Ojo said impartial evaluations by research groups and non-profits is another crucial step to holding AI companies accountable.
Businesses and AI
Some N.W.T. businesses are also looking for ways to incorporate AI into their work, although they may be relatively few in number for now.
A 2025 Statistics Canada business survey found that around 12 N.W.T. businesses out of 146 respondents plan to adopt software using artificial intelligence in the next 12 months.
Natsai Musarurwa is a consultant in Yellowknife, and she's already using AI in her daily work. She specializes in creating business plans, bookkeeping and strategic management.
"There was a time that I would not have touched research with AI with a 10-foot pole — but now I can," said Musarurwa.
Musarurwa said her perspective on AI has changed over the last year as the technology has seen significant advancements.
There are AI models for lawyers that can draft up opening statements, others that allow people with little to no experience in coding to build apps, and some that specialize in producing marketing slogans.
"It used to take me 40 hours to do a business plan, and I can get a business plan done now in a day," Musarurwa said.
