TEAM for a Livable Vancouver calls for moratorium on AI data centres and would pause Microsoft Copilot in schools
TEAM for a Livable Vancouver published its position on artificial intelligence on October 10, calling for a moratorium on AI data centre development, a pause on Microsoft Copilot in secondary schools, and a formal city AI policy.
Announcement. A campaign, a party or the City chose to say this. voche.me reports it as their claim. Read the original report on voteteam.ca.
TEAM for a Livable Vancouver published a platform post on artificial intelligence on October 10, calling for a moratorium on AI data centre development in Vancouver, a pause on Microsoft Copilot in secondary schools, and a formal city policy on AI. All positions, figures and claims in the post are the party's own.
The post, written by council candidate Patrick Sauriol, says AI-focused data centres can have different infrastructure requirements from other data centres, including large demands on electricity, cooling capacity and water, as well as potential noise impacts on nearby neighbourhoods, according to TEAM. TEAM says it would place a moratorium on new AI data centre development and create a public process for residents, businesses, experts and government officials to discuss where such facilities should be allowed and under what conditions before any are approved.
The party says it would also ask the questions: what responsibility should private corporations have for the extra demands they place on the electrical system; how would a facility be cooled; what water requirements would it have; and how would noise and other impacts be addressed. TEAM says these questions should be answered before decisions are made, not after.
Microsoft Copilot in schools
TEAM says it would halt the rollout of Microsoft Copilot for students aged 13 and older in secondary schools. Microsoft Copilot is software that acts as an AI assistant for teachers and students, helping with lesson preparation, research and understanding course material, according to TEAM's post.
The party says it has concerns about fast implementation of Copilot in schools: whether it leads students to rely too much on technology to learn, and whether it raises data privacy issues. TEAM says it would pause the rollout until research and supporting data show the benefits outweigh the risks, and until students, families and educators have been meaningfully consulted.
A city AI policy
TEAM says it wants Vancouver to be among the first cities to create an ongoing AI policy with residents' input. The party says the goal is to use technology to improve public services, lower costs and create opportunities while keeping human judgment at the centre of decisions.
The post says a city AI policy should not be written once and put aside. TEAM says AI will continue to change over the next four years and the policy should change with it.
The party's post does not name a cost for any of these proposals, and the figures it refers to are the party's own.
If you want to see where all parties stand before voting, the TEAM party page on this site lists each candidate. Voting day is Saturday, October 17, 2026.
Questions this story answers
What is TEAM for a Livable Vancouver's position on AI data centres?
TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says on its website it would place a moratorium on new AI data centre development in Vancouver. The party says AI-focused data centres can have large electricity, cooling and water demands, and that residents, businesses and officials should have a public discussion about where such facilities should be permitted and under what conditions before any are approved. This position was published on October 10, 2026, ahead of the October 17 election.
What does TEAM say about Microsoft Copilot in Vancouver schools?
According to the party's October 10 post, TEAM would halt the rollout of Microsoft Copilot for students aged 13 and older in secondary schools. The party says it wants transparent research and supporting data to show the benefits outweigh the risks, and that students, families and educators should be meaningfully consulted before the software is used more widely. Microsoft Copilot is an AI assistant that can help teachers prepare lessons and students do research.
What is TEAM's broader AI policy goal for the city?
TEAM says it wants Vancouver to have an ongoing, formal conversation with residents about how artificial intelligence should and should not be used by city government. The party says it wants to use technology to improve public services and reduce costs while keeping human judgment at the centre of decisions. The post says AI policy should be updated over time as the technology changes, rather than written once and shelved.
Who wrote the TEAM AI platform post?
Patrick Sauriol, a TEAM for a Livable Vancouver candidate for City Council, wrote the post published on the party's website on October 10, 2026. All figures, positions and claims in the post are the party's own and have not been independently verified by voche.me.
Has any other party released a position on AI data centres for this election?
An article published on this site on October 4 reported that four council candidates from COPE, the Green Party of Vancouver and Bright Future Vancouver each stated their positions on AI data centres after a march in Vancouver on October 3. The TEAM post published on October 10 is the party's own statement of its positions on AI, and those positions are the party's own.
What is the plebiscite on the ballot, and is AI related to it?
The October 17 ballot includes a question asking voters whether the city should ask the province to convert parts of the old St. Paul's Hospital site into a secure medical facility with involuntary care beds. This plebiscite is separate from the AI data centre question and the two are unrelated. TEAM's AI platform position was published as a blog post, not as a response to the plebiscite.
Where can I read TEAM's full AI platform post?
The full post, titled 'Human Intelligence Comes First,' is published on TEAM's website at voteteam.ca. All figures and positions cited in this article come directly from that post and are the party's own statements.
When is voting day, and where can I find out where to vote?
Voting day is Saturday, October 17, 2026. Advance voting has already taken place at multiple locations around Vancouver. The AI data centre and school technology positions published by TEAM are part of what voters can weigh before they cast ballots for Mayor, City Council, Park Board and School Board candidates. You can find your assigned voting place and check your registration on the voche.me where-to-vote page.
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