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Keith Jansa - AI Governance & Standards Expert

Keith Jansa is the Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Governance Council, a Canadian organization whose standards guide the nation’s digital technology standards, including AI standards. He works with senior leaders across Canada on how to govern digital systems and ensure a safe, ethical and successful future for AI adoption in Canada and across the globe. Keith shared written expert insights with the Canadian AI Advancement Institute in September 2025, and returned to record a Season 1 expert insight interview.

  • AI expert in digital governance, standards development, data sovereignty, and responsible AI adoption.
  • Supporting CAIAI in advancing responsible AI adoption and AI literacy.
  • Academic and professional achievements include but are not limited to an honours degree in health sciences from the University of Ottawa, appointment to the Ontario Health Data Council, and selection as one of The Inc. Magazine‘s 10 most influential business leaders in 2023.
  • Currently serving as Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Governance Council, and previously served at the Standards Council of Canada and the Canadian Electricity Association.

About Keith Jansa

Keith Jansa, AI governance and standards expert leading Canada's Digital Governance Council

Keith Jansa runs the organization that defines and publishes what strong digital governance looks like in Canada. The Digital Governance Council convenes senior leaders on digital governance problems; its Digital Governance Standards Institute is the country’s only accredited standards development body for digital technology governance, and the publisher behind CAN/DGSI 128:2025, the national standard for implementing machine learning and AI in research institutions. The Council took its present name in 2023, having been the CIO Strategy Council before that.

One of Keith’s passions is sovereignty; he shares that where data physically sits is not the same as who controls it, and that Canada remains dependent on infrastructure it does not own. He writes regularly for The Hill Times on AI, digital sovereignty, and technology standards, and he chaired the data governance and stewardship working group that reported to Ontario’s Health Data Council in 2024.

Keith Jansa's Contributions to AI Literacy at CAIAI

Keith's Expert Insights

Jansa has contributed to CAIAI twice. He shared expert insights for our course material in September 2025, and he appears in Season 1 of our recorded expert insight interviews.

  • Pre-digital text insights, 2025: Written contributions dated 16 September 2025, cited in our Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course.
  • Digital Insights, Season 1: A recorded interview on data sovereignty, the limits of what a customer can verify about a digital service, and the governance of AI systems. [Recording date not recorded in the expert master sheet – confirm before publishing.]

Excerpts from a Standards AI Expert

“Building consensus across diverse stakeholders is an effective way to establish safeguards that ensure AI remains human-centered. In Canada, the challenge extends beyond setting responsible AI principles to supporting adoption and commercialization. Demonstrating the value proposition of investing in responsible solutions that deliver real outcomes will help provide clarity and set market expectations for the use of AI.”

“Canada has been growing its investment in data sovereign capabilities, including in its hardware like semiconductor chips and data centres. This reflects a broader awakening to the need for sovereign capacity and has driven new investments to build here at home. The stark reality is that Canada remains highly technology- and infrastructure-dependent on other parts of the world, meaning significant sovereign infrastructure will be required for Canada to safeguard its data and assert control over its digital future.”

“With every new version or update, settings can change, and too often, those changes default to sharing data without user choice. Whenever an application is updated, users should take the time to understand what has changed and whether new default preferences now allow data to be shared in ways that were not present in earlier versions.”

CAIAI Courses That Keith Jansa Has Contributed To

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence is the Canadian AI Advancement Institute’s full course and the foundation behind our beginner course offerings. This course spans five modules and is supported by the 16-chapter Introduction to Artificial Intelligence textbook, which guides you through the basics of AI ethics, AI security, machine learning, model training, prompt engineering, the practical applications of generative AI, and the customization of no-code AI tools.

This text is supported by educational experts from across Canada, the United States, and Europe, who share their AI insights to bring you relevant, valuable knowledge. This course was developed with their guidance and in consultation with public- and private-sector stakeholders.

Introduction to AI Ethics and Security is a short online course from the Canadian AI Advancement Institute for learners who may already be using AI tools or are AI-curious. It is especially helpful for those looking to implement AI without creating problems for their employer, clients, or themselves, and it takes under five hours on average.

Introduction to Machine Learning is a short online course from the Canadian AI Advancement Institute that introduces machine learning for AI-curious learners who want to learn the basics. Ideal learners also include managers, analysts, educators and business owners who keep encountering machine learning in decisions and want to stop nodding along.

Practical Applications and Customization Features of Generative AI Tools is an online generative AI course for beginners. It is a launchpad for learners putting generative tools into their daily workflows, in the workplace or in everyday life, and it is one of the most hands-on and practical courses in our beginner catalogue.

Learn More About Keith Jansa

Jansa's Work Beyond CAIAI

  • Professional accomplishments: Leads the Digital Governance Council and, through it, the Digital Governance Standards Institute, Canada’s only accredited standards development body dedicated to digital technology governance. Named one of the 10 most influential business leaders in 2023 by The Inc. Magazine.
  • Volunteering: Provincially appointed member of the Ontario Health Data Council, and chair of its data governance and stewardship working group. [A seat on the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario’s Strategic Advisory Council appears in CAIAI’s record but on no IPC source – confirm before publishing.]
  • Speaking events: A recurring speaker at FWD50, Canada’s public sector digital government conference, on algorithmic integrity, digital cooperation, and data protection, as well as a speaker at the 2026 ALL IN conference.
  • Advocacy: Argues that data residency is not data sovereignty, that Canada’s dependence on foreign digital infrastructure is a strategic problem rather than a procurement one, and that standards are how responsible AI principles become something an organization can be held to.

Thank You, Keith

We are grateful for Keith’s contributions and insights on AI ethics, sovereignty, national and international standards, and strong governance and safe AI implementation.

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