The Municipality of Clarington proposes to research and pilot the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to modernize resident-facing services and improve internal operational efficiency. As AI tools rapidly mature, municipalities that fail to proactively assess and responsibly adopt them risk falling behind in service quality, staff productivity, and fiscal sustainability.
The intern will research emerging AI technologies, including large language models (LLMs), natural language processing, and process automation, and evaluate their applicability to Clarington's service delivery context, and prototype one or more high-impact AI-assisted tools. Priority areas include AI-powered resident inquiry chatbots, intelligent records classification, and predictive analytics for service operations.
Overall objectives include:
- A survey of the AI landscape for municipal applicability and benchmark peer-municipality AI adoption
- Mapping Clarington service workflows to identify high-value AI automation opportunities
- Develop and test a proof-of-concept AI tool (for example, an AI-powered resident FAQ assistant)
The project's end goals include delivering an AI Opportunity Assessment Report, a functional proof-of-concept, and an AI Adoption Roadmap with phased implementation recommendations for Clarington's leadership.
The ideal candidate is a student enrolled in computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, software engineering, or a related field. Hands-on experience with Python, LLMs, or ML frameworks (e.g., LangChain), and an understanding of responsible AI principles are strongly preferred.
Applicants should describe a past project involving AI or data analytics, articulate how AI can ethically serve public-sector needs, and demonstrate interest in local government innovation.