Faster Fixes, Better Service: What’s Next for Toronto
- councillorcarroll
- Sep 25
- 3 min read
Earlier this week, my Chief of Staff, Tom, and I were in Pleasant View, checking on infrastructure upgrades and reflecting on the devastating 2005 flood. Some will remember that I had to fight Council to get no-fault grants paid out and to launch what is now the Citywide Basement Flooding Mitigation Program. Our work in Pleasant View began in earnest in 2009 and took more than 12 years to fully complete. Over the past 20 years, more than $100 million has been invested in flood mitigation in that neighbourhood alone. It has been a long, challenging process, but one that has protected countless homes.
That kind of large-scale infrastructure work will always be necessary, but how we deliver it is about to change dramatically, thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Most of us have only been exposed to AI through the media, which focuses on ChatGPT or Google Intelligence, tools powered by massive Large Language Models (LLMs), which have come under scrutiny for their large environmental impacts and concerns about privacy and security. However, as I continue to learn through my work in Economic Development and talking to businesses, AI is much more than LLMs. In fact, the most promising advances for cities like Toronto are in smaller, specialized tools designed to protect your information while helping government work faster and more affordably.
These tools are called Small Language Models (SLMs). Instead of sweeping the entire internet for knowledge, they are trained on just the information needed to deliver a specific service. They power what’s known as Agentic AI, digital programs that can help city staff respond to residents, streamline approvals, or solve problems across departments. Importantly, these agents can be built and owned by the City itself, giving us what’s called digital autonomy. That means we’re not locked into expensive, decades-long service contracts with major tech firms. We can create AI solutions that belong to Torontonians.
This shift has the potential to save millions of dollars, improve response times, and even position Toronto as a leader, able to develop and share AI service tools with other municipalities.
Importantly, we’re not talking about a distant future, this work is already underway. This year marked the very first City of Toronto Data & AI Innovation Challenge, a new program to recognize and showcase safe, practical uses of AI across city divisions. Eleven finalists pitched their ideas to a judging panel of City leaders, academics, industry experts, and staff. Finalists represented divisions as diverse as Children’s Services, City Planning, Parks & Recreation, Toronto Water, and more.
The inaugural winners highlight the potential of AI to make day-to-day services more efficient and responsive:
Toronto Open Data RAG Conversational AI Assistant (City Clerk’s Office) : Making open data easier for residents and staff to access and understand.
SewerVision (Toronto Water): Using AI to monitor and predict sewer conditions, helping to prevent costly flooding and infrastructure failures.
Winter Road Operations (Fleet & Technology Services): Optimizing winter maintenance so that roads are cleared more effectively and efficiently.
These projects are not about replacing staff, they’re about giving public servants better tools to serve you. Whether it’s clearing roads faster, preventing basement flooding, or making public data easier to use, AI is already helping Toronto deliver services more securely, more efficiently, and more affordably.
Of course, with every step we take, data sovereignty comes first. In plain terms, this means making sure that the data generated by Toronto residents and City services stays under Canadian control, stored securely within our borders and governed by our own laws. Protecting your information is non-negotiable. That’s why Canada has appointed a Minister of AI and is investing nearly $5 billion in a Sovereign AI Compute Strategy to safeguard Canadian data and intellectual property while supporting homegrown innovation. Toronto is aligned with this approach. Whenever we work with startups or major firms, we will insist that any AI tools we use keep City data secure, in-house, and under our control.
AI is not about science fiction. It’s about smart, careful adoption of tools that make your City work better. Done responsibly, it will help us deliver services more quickly, more securely, and more affordably. That’s how we’ll make Toronto not just a smart city, but a city that works better for everyone.
