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Generative AI Policy
POLICY # 2026-02-03
1. POLICY STATEMENT
1.1 The Municipality of the County of Pictou (the "Municipality") recognizes the potential of
generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) to enhance municipal administration efficiency,
service delivery, and public engagement. The Municipality is committed to ensuring that the
adoption and use of Gen AI technologies is responsible, ethical, lawful, and aligned with
public-sector values.
1.2 This Policy establishes clear expectations and safeguards for the acquisition,
development, and use of Gen AI by the Municipality. It is intended to balance innovation with
accountability, protect individual rights, comply with applicable legislation, and maintain
public trust.
1.3 The Municipality will foster a workplace culture that encourages Employees to use Gen
AI responsibly and to raise concerns regarding ethical, legal, or operational risks without fear
of reprisal.
2. APPLICATION AND PURPOSE
2.1 The purpose of this Policy is to provide a governance framework for the ethical,
responsible, and effective use of Gen AI systems by individuals authorized to conduct
municipal business. While certain principles may apply broadly to artificial intelligence
technologies, this Policy specifically governs Generative AI systems.
2.2 This Policy applies to:
a. All municipal departments, employees, contractors, consultants, students, and
volunteers;
b. All instances where Gen AI functionality is known or reasonably expected to be included,
including:
I. New software or platforms under consideration;
ii. New AI-enabled features added to existing systems; and
iii. Gen AI tools or systems developed internally or in partnership with third parties.
2.3 The Municipality affirms its responsibility, as a public body, to ensure that Gen AI use
aligns with municipal values, including transparency, accountability, fairness, accessibility,
and respect for privacy.
3. DEFINITIONS
3.1 Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) means the Chief Administrative Officer of the
Municipality of the County of Pictou, as defined under the Municipal Government Act (Nova
Scotia).
3.2 Municipality means the Municipality of the County of Pictou and all departments,
divisions, boards, and administrative units thereof.
3.3 Employee(s) means any individual working for or on behalf of the Municipality, including
full-time, part-time, casual, seasonal, contract staff, volunteers, and students.
3.4 Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) means a class of artificial intelligence systems
capable of generating new content--including text, images, audio, video, or code--based on
patterns learned from data. This includes Large Language Models (LLMs).
3.5 Intellectual Property (IP) means creations of the mind protected by copyright, patent,
trademark, or other intellectual property laws.
3.6 Large Language Model (LLM) means a machine-learning model designed to process and
generate natural language and related content.
3.7 Personal Information has the meaning assigned under Nova Scotia's Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP).
4. KEY PRINCIPLES
The Municipality's acquisition and use of Gen AI shall be guided by the following principles:
4.1 Innovation - The Municipality supports responsible innovation that improves service
delivery and internal efficiency while remaining grounded in public-sector ethics.
4.2 Transparency and Accountability - The Municipality will be transparent about when and
how Gen AI is used and will ensure accountability for decisions influenced by AI systems.
4.3 Fairness and Bias Mitigation - The Municipality will actively evaluate and mitigate risks of
bias, discrimination, or inequitable outcomes associated with Gen AI outputs.
4.4 Privacy Protection - Personal information shall be protected throughout the lifecycle of
Gen AI systems, consistent with FOIPOP and municipal privacy policies.
4.5 Validity and Reliability - Gen AI systems must demonstrate reliable performance and be
subject to ongoing monitoring and quality assurance.
4.6 Explainability - Where feasible, Gen AI systems and outputs must be explainable to staff,
decision-makers, and affected individuals.
4.7 Security and Resilience - Gen AI systems must protect the confidentiality, integrity, and
availability of municipal information and systems.
5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
5.1 Municipal Council shall:
a. Approve this Policy and any substantive amendments.
5.2 Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) or delegate shall:
a. Ensure organizational compliance with this Policy;
b. Ensure Gen AI use aligns with municipal strategic priorities; and
c. Delegate responsibilities as appropriate.
5.3 Employees shall:
a. Comply with this Policy and related procedures;
b. Complete required Gen AI training prior to using it in the workplace; and
c. Seek guidance when unsure about appropriate Gen AI use.
6. GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES
6.1 Acquisition of Gen AI Technology
All Gen AI acquisitions shall follow municipal procurement processes and be reviewed by
the CAO to ensure they meet the requirements laid out in this Policy.
6.2 Development of Gen AI Tools
Any internally developed Gen AI systems shall:
a. Restrict access to authorized Municipality users.
b. Cite source documents where feasible; and
c. Undergo testing for accuracy and reliability prior to use.
6.3 Use of Gen AI Outputs
All Gen AI outputs must be reviewed by a human ("Human-in-the-Loop") prior to use or
dissemination. Documentation of such reviews shall be retained in accordance with
municipal records management requirements.
6.4 Intellectual Property
Employees must respect intellectual property laws and seek guidance where uncertainty
exists regarding ownership or permitted use of AI-generated content.
6.5 Attribution and Transparency
Where Gen AI contributes to a municipal work product, reasonable attribution shall be
provided, including identification of the AI tool used and confirmation of human review.
6.6 Privacy and Data Protection
Personal or confidential information shall not be entered into Gen AI systems unless
appropriate enterprise controls and privacy safeguards are in place.
6.7 Records Management and FOIPOP
Records created or maintained through Gen AI systems may constitute municipal records
and be subject to access requests under FOIPOP.
6.8 Training and Awareness
Mandatory Gen AI training shall be required prior to use and incorporated into onboarding
and ongoing professional development.
6.9 Governance and Monitoring
The Municipality will annually review Gen AI systems and this Policy to ensure continued
compliance and effectiveness.
6.10 Prohibited Uses
a. Gen AI systems shall not be used to process, analyze, generate, or store confidential
information, including but not limited to employee or resident personal or financial
information, in camera Council discussions, or legal matters.
b. Gen AI shall not be used to make fully automated decisions that produce legal, financial,
or similarly significant effects on individuals without human review and appropriate
authorization.
6.11 Incident Response
The Municipality shall develop procedures for reporting, investigating, and remediating Gen
AI-related incidents or misuse.
7. NON-COMPLIANCE
Failure to comply with this Policy may result in disciplinary action, restriction of system
access, or contractual remedies, up to and including termination.
8. REVIEW
This Policy shall be reviewed periodically and updated as required to reflect legislative
changes, technological developments, and best practices.
9. REPEAL
All former policies and/or practices heretofore enacted with respect to Generative AI be
hereby repealed.
DATED at Pictou, N.S. this 2nd day of March 2026.
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