Mission’s schools, city, hospital, and RCMP adopt AI to streamline work, boost care, and prepare students—innovating safely and responsibly.
AI Is Transforming Mission’s Institutions
From classrooms to city hall and hospital wards, artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping how Mission operates. Local institutions, including the City of Mission, Mission RCMP, Fraser Health, and Mission Public School District, are exploring AI in ways that improve efficiency, care, and learning.
Some initiatives are in pilot phases, while others are fully integrated into daily workflows—but all require transparency about AI use.
Mission Memorial Hospital: AI Supporting Care, Not Replacing Humans
At Mission Memorial Hospital, AI is helping medical staff rather than taking over their jobs. Predictive discharge planning, automatic hospital stay summaries, and early warning systems for patient risks—like sepsis or pneumonia—allow healthcare providers to act faster and spend more time with patients.
Dimple Prakash, interim director for Fraser Health’s Centre for Advanced Analytics, emphasizes that AI tools assist decision-making but never replace human judgment. “Clinical decisions remain the responsibility of trained professionals,” she said.
Hospital Director Dr. Paul Theron added that piloting AI at a smaller site like Mission Memorial helps assess scalability for larger hospitals.
Mission RCMP: Cutting Report Times with AI
Mission RCMP has joined the AI wave through pilot programs that use AI for body-worn camera transcripts. By converting audio and video into draft reports, officers save time and return to the streets faster.
Insp. Ted Lewko explained that AI-generated transcripts are reviewed by officers to ensure accuracy. The project is still in its early stages, with privacy and reliability carefully evaluated.
City of Mission: Turning Tech Into Plain Language
City staff are experimenting with GovAI to help draft content, brainstorm ideas, and simplify technical material. Importantly, the platform protects citizen data by redacting sensitive information before processing it with AI.
The city’s AI policy encourages innovation while maintaining confidentiality, transparency, and fairness. Staff are reminded to label AI-generated content and watch for hidden biases.
Schools: Preparing Students for an AI-Driven World
In Mission Public School District, AI’s impact is comparable to when calculators entered classrooms. Superintendent Angus Wilson said AI currently supports operational tasks and lesson planning, rather than deep academic thinking.
Teachers and students must disclose AI use. While AI can generate lesson plans or policy drafts, teachers still review and adapt content to meet curriculum standards. Wilson emphasized that AI will not replace staff, as it lacks common sense and human insight.
Ethical concerns also arise, particularly around using cultural or Indigenous information without permission—a critical consideration for the district.
Experts Weigh In: A Balanced View
Kevin Leyton-Brown, UBC computer science professor and AI Chair at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, praised Mission’s institutions for responsibly embracing AI. “Asking about using AI is like asking about using computers—it depends on how and for what you use it,” he said.
He cautioned against overhyping AI, noting that systems excel at tasks they’ve seen often but struggle with underrepresented situations. Misunderstanding AI’s capabilities is common because language-based AI can feel human, even when it isn’t.
The Takeaway
Mission’s adoption of AI demonstrates cautious innovation across health care, law enforcement, government, and education. Pilots and policies emphasize safety, ethics, and human oversight, proving that AI can enhance daily operations without replacing the people who make Mission run.
