SPPA Professional Workshop Series: Practical approaches to AI policy
Friday, November 6, 2026 from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
- In-Person event
- 5208, Richcraft Hall, Carleton University
- 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6
- Cost: Free internal event
- Contact
- sppa@carleton.ca
In this interactive session, students will learn how public policy norms and objectives are incorporated into AI systems in government, and walk through three practical examples of ethical dilemmas in the public sector’s use of AI. They will be asked to think of these problems from the perspective of both a public servant and a member of the public. By the end, students should have a framework for how to approach issues of fairness, trust, bias, and safety of AI in the context of public administration.
Michael Karlin is a Senior Advisor at the Canadian Digital Service, where he specializes in the safety, policy, and governance of AI for government services. Over a 12-year public sector career in AI and digital policy, he has advised three departments and agencies, developing the Government of Canada’s internal policies and procedures regarding AI in critical systems such as the Directive on Automated Decision-Making, and three departmental AI strategies. His work focuses on ensuring AI systems serving the public are deployed responsibly, with robust safeguards that maintain trust and accountability.