VANCOUVER — Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim clarified his statement about using “11 AI agents” to do many jobs, saying that was just his personal position.
Sim praised the efficiency of AI tools at the Web Summit in Vancouver on Tuesday, saying he expects AI to improve 64 times over three years.
He said much of his work was done “in the background” using AI agents, but online critics, including rival mayoral candidate Kareem Alam, questioned whether he was sharing government data or residents’ personal information.
Sim said in a statement Wednesday that the AI agents and tools used were on personal computers that were never brought into City Hall or connected to City Hall’s network.
He said the tools were never used to make city decisions, access confidential information or conduct city business.
“As Mayor, I take privacy, security, and public trust very seriously. Vancouver residents should know that there is a clear distinction between my own personal experiments with emerging technologies and the work of the city,” the statement reads.
Sim said it uses AI technology for personal learning, scanning news, tracking global and financial events, following “thought leaders,” meal planning, and more.
“It is clear that people spreading misinformation and speculation can hinder investment in Vancouver’s growing technology sector,” the statement said, with Sim encouraging people to “keep learning new skills.”
When British Columbia Premier David Eby was asked if he had used AI tools, he said he had used AI to fix a broken toilet.
Eby told an unrelated news conference Wednesday that he uses AI tools “mostly at home” for household chores.
“Claude has been very helpful in fixing my family’s leaky toilet. I’m by no means a skilled craftsman, but I really appreciate the chatbot’s advice on how to fix the toilet,” Eby said.
Eby said he doesn’t believe AI tools are “in a position to provide useful political or strategic advice to British Columbia at this time.”
Nevertheless, he encouraged lawmakers to experiment with AI chatbots.
“I think being an elected official means understanding both the threats and opportunities of new technology as it comes along, but it’s not something that people automatically feel comfortable working with,” Eby said.
He likened the process of exploring AI tools to meeting with voters to understand their day-to-day experiences.
“The more practical experience you have with different tools and different groups of people, the better politicians you will become because you will understand the context in which these decisions are made,” Eby said.
Sim has previously championed technology development, proposing a 2024 motion to diversify Vancouver’s fiscal space and make the city “Bitcoin friendly.”
However, city staff later reported that they “ultimately determined that Bitcoin is not a permissible investment asset for the City under the Vancouver Charter.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in May. 13th, 2026.
Nono Shen, Canadian Press
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