The Big Story

The Canadian Guide to Building Trust in the Age of AI

Why public confidence, not technology, is the most valuable metric for our national digital success.

Canada is quietly becoming a global leader in building public trust around AI and digital government services, with 70% of citizens reporting satisfaction with digital government platforms. The secret isn't flashy technology – it's transparency and human-centred design.

The country's groundbreaking Directive on Automated Decision-Making, strengthened in 2023, requires comprehensive risk assessments before deploying AI systems that affect citizens. Canada now operates the world's most comprehensive public registry of government AI systems, with 22 detailed algorithmic impact assessments published for public review.

Private sector success stories reinforce this approach. Bell Canada saved $20 million by deploying AI to enhance rather than replace human workers, while Montreal's Hopper achieved 75% faster customer resolution times through thoughtful AI integration. Even traditional industries are seeing transformation – one lumber company used AI to reduce quote cycles from days to minutes.

The lesson? Trust, not technology, drives digital transformation success. Canada's $2 billion Sovereign AI Compute Strategy backs this philosophy with infrastructure investments, ensuring ethical AI development isn't limited to large corporations.

The model shows that responsible AI isn't just possible – it's profitable and sustainable when built on transparency and public engagement.

Read the full story to discover how Canada's transparency-first approach is reshaping AI governance worldwide—and what other nations can learn from it.

Community Engagement

What ‘efficiency’ looks like... and doesn’t

What does government efficiency actually look like? A service designer's real-world comparison reveals the answer isn't about cutting red tape – it's about building trust and transparency.

When accessing non-sensitive research files, one government organization required eight people, 15 communication threads, and 2.5 weeks of approvals. Another enabled instant access through open sharing platforms and empowered employees to make reasonable decisions without management intervention. The difference wasn't policy or process. It was culture.

Organizations that prioritize transparency, trust their staff, and "work in the open" achieve genuine efficiency. The second organization implemented cultural shifts through clear communication guidelines, cross-government collaboration platforms, and making open sharing part of job descriptions and performance reviews.

Read the full comparison to see exactly how government teams can build cultures of efficiency that actually work.

Your July Event Calendar!

Victoria

July 7 | Victoria Design Community In-Person Meetup 
A meetup for Victoria's design community to connect and share ideas. TIME: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM PDT PLACE: Rooftop Patio above the Strathcona Hotel, 919 Douglas St, Victoria COST: Free (RSVP required) | DETAILS: Email [email protected] to register

July 17 | Beyond the Carbon Tax: Charting a New Course for Climate Action in BC 
An IPAC Victoria event exploring climate action policy beyond carbon taxation. TIME: 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM PDT (Doors at 6:30 PM) PLACE: David Lam Auditorium, University of Victoria COST: $25 | DETAILS

Vancouver

July 9 | Climate Fresk Workshop 
A workshop in partnership with BCIT Centre of Ecocities exploring climate change through collaborative learning. TIME: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM PDT PLACE: BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour St. COST: $25 | DETAILS

July 10 | Climate Cafe Vancouver 
An in-person gathering to discuss climate action and connect with like-minded individuals. TIME: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM PDT PLACE: George Wainborn Park, 450 Beach Crescent COST: Free | DETAILS

Edmonton

July 7 | Build, Test & Learn – Design Thinking 
An Edmonton Unlimited workshop focusing on design thinking methodologies. TIME: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM MDT PLACE: Edmonton Unlimited, 10107 Jasper Ave. | DETAILS

Calgary

July 10 | 2025 Tech Stampede Social 
A networking event for Calgary‘s tech community. TIME: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM MDT PLACE: Platform Calgary, 407 9th Ave SE COST: $22 | DETAILS

Worth Your Attention

What We’re Reading: Designing for Situation Awareness: An Approach to User-Centered Design, Third Edition 

This third edition of "Designing for Situation Awareness" presents a systematic methodology for supporting situation awareness (SA) in complex environments. Updated with latest research, it covers SA challenges, cognitive processes, and agile design approaches. The book features detailed examples across driving, healthcare, command/control, unmanned vehicles, and augmented reality applications.

It also deftly provides 60 design principles for improving system SA and 12 approaches for effective SA training. Additionally, it addresses automation/AI effects on SA and team-specific needs and is a must-read for resource targets engineers, human factors practitioners, and professionals in aviation, military, emergency management, healthcare, and various control systems industries.

Learn more and get the book here.

Further Reading

Stay on top of vital digital services news and tips by checking out insights from our previous newsletters

BUYING CANADIAN IS NOT ENOUGH: A practical technology roadmap for going from foreign vendor lock-in to harnessing Canadian innovation.

STREAMLINING FEATURE APPROVAL IN GOVERNMENT APPS: The Button secret for streamlining feature approvals for seamless, consistent user experiences across government applications.

ESCAPING THE SPREADSHEET NIGHTMARE: A government leader’s guide to making smarter BI decisions.

REKINDLING DIGITAL TRUST: Button helps our partners build digital trust with their citizens every day. Learn how with our video, blog and white-paper guides today!

🔥 THE NEWEST HOT BUTTON REPORT: Learn how to rebuild trust with your stakeholders. Download the full, free report now.

Curious what a Canadian-first tech stack could look like for you?

We’ll happily walk you through three smart swaps that improve resilience, and reduce exposure without breaking your workflows.

Book a 30-minute working session with Button.

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