How Alberta saved 95% on government system replacements by using AI instead of traditional $54 million bid

Summary

Alberta's Ministry of Infrastructure faced replacing two critical but ancient government computer systems — one tracking $12 billion in government properties and another managing 500+ active construction projects. The systems were so outdated that staff relied on manual spreadsheet copying. Instead of paying the quoted $54 million for a traditional replacement, Alberta's public servants used AI tools to rebuild the systems at a fraction of the cost, achieving approximately 95% savings. The article details how this innovative, cost-effective approach modernized critical government infrastructure.