Doug Langille

hack writer & shameless technophile

AI is moving from “interesting toy” to “everyday tool” faster than we’ve seen with anything since smartphones. In Nova Scotia, the people who could benefit the most are still on the outside looking in. If we repeat our broadband screw‑ups and slow rollouts, reactive policy, and shiny announcements with no depth, we’re going to bake inequity into our future.

What’s Going On

We’ve mostly solved the “can we connect it” problem. Now it’s “can people afford to stay connected?” Tens of thousands of Nova Scotian households still don’t have home internet because the bill is too steep. Low‑income households spend a painful share of their income on connectivity, while higher‑income households barely notice the cost. Canada’s stats say most people are online. That still leaves over a million Canadians offline, and the folks hanging on at the margins often live month‑to‑month with their internet bill.

Meanwhile, AI tools are quietly embedding themselves in classrooms, job applications, and public services. The people already juggling old devices, shaky Wi‑Fi, and low digital confidence aren’t lining up for these benefits. They’re being left behind.

Who’s most at risk:

  • Low‑income households without stable devices or internet

  • Older adults who never got much tech training

  • Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities who’ve seen “innovation” projects come and go with little to show

  • Newcomers facing language, trust, and navigation barriers

  • Students and workers locked out of capable tools because of price

We already have public literacy programs in libraries and community spaces. Most just aren’t equipped (or staffed) for hands‑on AI use with real coaching.

What’s Not Being Said

AI is becoming the new baseline skill for knowledge work, like reading, writing, and spreadsheet literacy. If access is uneven, opportunity will be too. “Free” and throttled trial versions are not a plan. And right now, the playbook is being written by well‑heeled institutions with barely a nod to the people most affected.

Why It Matters

Once AI fluency becomes a workplace expectation, the gap between the “cognitively augmented” and everyone else is going to widen… and fast. Public services that bolt on AI without inclusive access and training aren’t just missing the point; they’re hard‑coding bias into the system. Nova Scotia’s connectivity push is good, but without an AI equity plan it’s like building roads and then banning half the cars.

My Take

Treat AI access like we treat libraries or public transit: essential, shared, and supported.

  • Fund targeted AI coaching in libraries, schools, adult learning, and settlement agencies. Track who shows up and make sure it’s the people who need it most.

  • Build programs with Mi’kmaw governments and African Nova Scotian organizations, shaped by their priorities and languages.

  • Put capable AI tools, not just the weakest free tier, into trusted public venues. Offer booked sessions and guided help.

  • Tie provincial targets to federal goals, and link funding to real equity outcomes instead of pilot‑project theatre.

Here’s the gut check: if someone in Sheet Harbour, Eskasoni, or Mulgrave walks into a library and asks for help using an AI tool to write a resume or understand a benefits letter, can they get it today? If not, we’re already late.

Houston, we have a problem.

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