January 15, 2020
Smart Cities Connect honoured the City of Edmonton with a global
Smart 50 Award in the category of digital transformation for their innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution for safety codes inspections.
The City created advanced AI software to predict whether home builders will pass low-risk inspections. This software enables the City to automatically pass inspections for builders with good track records. This new process will allow valuable staff resources to focus on more complicated inspections that pose a higher risk to public safety and shortens timelines for builders.
“I truly believe the next frontier for governments is how we can use data and AI to make better evidence-based decisions,” says Mayor Don Iveson. “To know that we’re leading the way in this rapidly-evolving field while making things easier for businesses is very encouraging.”
Edmonton is a demonstrated leader in using innovation to improve municipal services and is the first city in Canada to use AI in a risk based predictive model to make Safety Codes inspections more efficient.
Builders and contractors will continue to be responsible for ensuring their work is done safely, correctly and up to code. Safety Codes Inspectors will continue to support homeowners’ safety by confirming the work aligns with current applicable code requirements.
Smart 50 Awards, in partnership with Smart Cities Connect, Smart Cities Connect Foundation and US Ignite, recognize global smart cities projects representing innovative projects with current or future municipal-scale impact and application.
