Director, Data-Driven Technologies, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Steve Rennie is the Director of Data-Driven Technologies at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). In this role, he leads a division focused on advancing the responsible and ethical adoption of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and robotic process automation. In June 2023, Steve and his team won the inaugural Public Service Data Challenge with a generative AI chatbot that offers conversational information on government programs in agriculture. Launching in February 2024, it marks the Government of Canada’s first public-facing generative AI chatbot. He also led the development of another AI tool that helps Access to Information officers quickly find duplicate documents and close matches, which AAFC has shared with other government departments and agencies. Prior to joining AAFC in 2021, he held progressively more senior roles at Natural Resources Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. A former journalist, Steve covered federal politics for nearly decade in the Parliamentary Bureau of the Canadian Press news agency and later served as the managing editor of Metro Ottawa.
Participating in: Virtual lightning round