Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is defending himself after a recent comment he made regarding AI agents.
Sim spoke at a press conference regarding two AI data centres that would be located in Vancouver in partnership with Telus and the Government of Canada.
“I have 11 AI agents running right now, uh, doing all my, like a lot of my work in the background,” Sim said in the video.
Should we believe what you said yesterday or what you said today? https://t.co/PGJE2p7hzC pic.twitter.com/Vi99PoYkPd
— Kareem Allam (@kareemformayor) May 13, 2026
In response to the video, many residents and political opponents expressed concern.
Kareem Allam, Sim’s former campaign manager and a mayoral candidate in the upcoming civic election, who is running with the Vancouver Liberals, had a lot to say about Sim’s AI agent revelation.
“Residents elect people, not AI agents, to lead them,” said Allam in a release. “Vancouverites have a right to know how, when, and where these AI agents are being used inside their government, and they deserve clear, strong rules.”
Allam also called for disclosure on a few fronts, including which recommendations from City Hall and the Mayor’s Office are being produced or shaped by AI.
Sim released a statement and suggested that the discussion that ensued as a result of the comments he made is a matter of “misinformation and speculation.”
“Any AI agents or tools I have experimented with were used strictly in a personal capacity. They were never used on City of Vancouver hardware, never connected to City networks, never used for City business, and never provided access to any City information or data. They were also not used on City premises, including at City Hall,” a portion of Sim’s statement reads.
Sim said that he takes privacy, security and public trust “very seriously” and that residents should know that there’s a clear separation between his personal “experimentation” with emerging technology and the work he does at the City.
He also said that the people “spreading misinformation” could discourage investment in the Vancouver tech sector.
As the Vancouver mayor alluded to, residents have expressed concern online.
“So you’re lying about what you said and blaming other people for spreading ‘misinformation,’ you’re totally unfit,” someone said in response to Sim’s post on X.
We all saw the video. You said AI was doing your JOB – not tracking your calories.
— Mel (@Melloadee) May 13, 2026
Others shared concerns about privacy.
“If he is doing this on City property (computers, phones, etc.), there’s a high chance that these agents are sending data that they should not be to private servers,” someone responded.
“I encourage everyone to stay curious about how the world is changing and to keep learning new skills or exploring new interests. For me, exploring AI has been one of those interests,” Sim’s statement said.