Building Canadian Communities with Homegrown AI

AMO 2025 Conference Recap

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) 2025 Conference brought together public sector leaders from across Ontario to discuss how municipalities can build smarter, faster, and stronger for the future. For AltaML, it was an opportunity to listen, learn, and share how AI can help municipalities address their biggest challenges—whether that’s improving housing affordability, enhancing citizen services, or navigating economic uncertainty.

“The AltaML team was proud to sponsor AMO 2025. It was inspiring to see this record-setting crowd come together to collaborate on how best to solve the challenges facing municipalities in Ontario. We were delighted to have the chance to be involved in these important conversations.” – Chantal Ritcey, Public Sector Lead and Responsible AI Lead at AltaML.

A Roadmap for AI Adoption: From Potholes to Progress

The presentation highlighted real-world applications of AI we’ve developed with our public sector clients, already in use today, including:

• Automating Permit Application Screening: Speeding up approvals and freeing staff for higher-value work
• Detecting Sanitary Pipe Defects: Improving infrastructure maintenance and reducing repair costs
• Enhancing Citizen Services: Using AI assistants to reduce call wait times and improve access to information

We also introduced a roadmap for AI adoption to help municipalities get started with confidence:

• Make AI an Organization-Wide Imperative: Ensure leadership buy-in and a shared vision
• Build a Multi-Disciplinary Team: Combine policy, operations, and technical expertise
• Start Small, Build Momentum: Pilot projects that deliver quick wins and demonstrate value
• Focus on the Business Problem First: Let community needs, not technology, drive decisions

The core message was clear: municipalities recognize the potential of AI, but many require a structured approach to get started.

“Ontario municipalities have demonstrated their drive to innovate to serve their citizens better. The conversations and the demand for our presentation are clear indicators that municipal governments are ready to tackle the challenges facing their communities. It was energizing to see how excited the audience was to learn about our experiences helping municipalities innovate with AI.” – Chantal Ritcey, AltaML.

Key Insights from Ontario’s Municipal Leaders

Across sessions and conversations, municipal leaders raised common themes that highlight both the urgency and the opportunity for AI adoption.

Trends That Are Shaping the Future

• Building smarter with the right partnerships and innovation strategies
• Speeding up affordable housing development and approvals
• Expanding access to healthcare, particularly in underserved regions
• Finding new ways to collaborate across municipalities during uncertain times

Hurdles on the Path to Progress

• Balancing innovation with tight budgets
• Struggling with where to start on AI adoption
• Managing affordability and the pace of new housing starts
• Navigating supply chain pressures and tariffs
• Keeping pace with the speed of technological change

The Opportunity for Homegrown Innovation

• Stronger collaboration between federal, provincial, and local governments on digital transformation
• A renewed focus on homegrown AI innovation to drive productivity and resilience
• Municipalities are eager to share lessons learned collectively rather than work in silos

Where AI Can Help Municipalities Now

Based on what we heard, there are clear areas where AI can deliver immediate, citizen-focused impact. Municipal leaders should be exploring:

• Permitting and Approvals: Automating repetitive checks to reduce bottlenecks
• Infrastructure Maintenance: Predictive monitoring for roads, water, and utilities
• Housing Development: Data-driven forecasting to accelerate planning and approvals
• Citizen Engagement: Digital assistants to improve service delivery and responsiveness
• Budget Optimization: AI models to support evidence-based decision-making during fiscal constraints
• Public Safety: Intelligent resource allocation to improve emergency response times

Each of these areas offers an opportunity to start small, demonstrate value, and build momentum toward broader adoption.

“The true opportunity for AI lies in the everyday. From automating permit checks to optimizing public services, AI can address the most pressing, tangible problems municipalities face right now. The key is to start small and focus on areas where we can deliver immediate, citizen-focused impact to build trust and momentum.” – Ankur Pandit, Public Sector Account Executive at AltaML.

Conversations That Stood Out

“The power of local governments in Ontario is incredible. It was amazing to see so many different cities and towns united by a common purpose—tackling shared, complex problems, from designing public washrooms to the broader use of mass timber. My key takeaway is that there are so many important issues on each municipality’s plate, and that’s where AI can be a real game-changer. By handling the ‘tedious chores,’ AI enables them to focus on what matters most to their citizens. The excitement from local leaders about this potential was really encouraging.” – Paul Longo, Executive Business Partner, Public Sector at AltaML.

Reflections on the Experience

Looking Ahead in Ontario

The AMO 2025 Conference gave us a valuable pulse check on the priorities of Ontario municipalities and reinforced how determined leaders are to innovate. With offices in Toronto and Waterloo, deep ties to Ontario’s post-secondary institutions, and proven expertise in AI for the public sector, AltaML is well-positioned to help municipalities take the next steps on their AI journeys.

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