{"id":1222,"date":"2026-03-26T18:40:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T23:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/?p=1222"},"modified":"2026-03-26T18:40:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T23:40:54","slug":"hosting-the-1st-annual-mayors-ai-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/26\/hosting-the-1st-annual-mayors-ai-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Hosting The 1st Annual Mayor&#8217;s AI Awards!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a great pleasure to see the 1st Annual Mayor&#8217;s AI Awards take place today!  We recognized the tremendous work done by City staff bringing forward innovative AI platforms in 311, Parks and Recreation, and Toronto Building!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today the following were recognized:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Public-Facing AI Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>311 Virtual Assistant \u2013 Supporting faster, more consistent responses to resident inquiries while assisting staff in delivering improved customer service.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Building Permit Application PreCheck \u2013 Streamlining the permit process to help applicants navigate requirements more efficiently and reduce processing timelines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Toronto Public Service\u2013Facing AI Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>TechAssist \u2013 IT Virtual Assistant \u2013 Helping City staff resolve internal IT issues more quickly and accurately.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data-Enabled Recreation Planning \u2013 Using data insights to better understand community needs and enhance recreation programming across the city.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are my comments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a>Thank you, Mayor Chow<\/a>! Your leadership and vision was of paramount importance in seeing these awards come to fruition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>And thank you to my colleagues who took the time today to visit the Mayor\u2019s AI Awards Projects Showcase and those who were able to speak with staff and to see firsthand the work being done across this organization.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I\u2019ve always believed this: digital transformation isn\u2019t about technology for technology\u2019s sake.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It\u2019s about people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"639\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards2.jpg 639w, https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards2-240x300.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It\u2019s about making sure government works better, works faster, and works for everyone\u2014no matter who they are or where they live.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What we saw today in the Members\u2019 Lounge is exactly why City Council supported the Mayor\u2019s AI Awards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These projects show what happens when we pair good ideas with public\u2011service values and a clear sense of purpose.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They demonstrate that when we adopt technology thoughtfully, we deliver better services, remove barriers, and make everyday interactions with the City simpler and more human.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To the teams being recognized today: thank you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your work is moving this city forward.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You\u2019re helping us modernize how we serve, and you\u2019re doing it responsibly, with the public interest front and centre.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards4-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards4.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>And to my colleagues: when we support this kind of innovation\u2014when we give people the space to imagine what\u2019s possible\u2014we\u2019re better prepared to meet the expectations of the residents who count on us.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Congratulations to all the 1<sup>st<\/sup> Mayor\u2019s AI Award recipients. I look forward to seeing how this work continues to grow and strengthen our city.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Thank you!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards5-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MayorsAIAwards5.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><a id=\"_msocom_1\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was a great pleasure to see the 1st Annual Mayor&#8217;s AI Awards take place today! We recognized the tremendous work done by City staff bringing forward innovative AI platforms in 311, Parks and Recreation, and Toronto Building! Today the following were recognized: Public-Facing AI Solutions Toronto Public Service\u2013Facing AI Solutions Here are my comments: &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/26\/hosting-the-1st-annual-mayors-ai-awards\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Hosting The 1st Annual Mayor&#8217;s AI Awards!!!&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1222"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1227,"href":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222\/revisions\/1227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulainslie.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}