Alumni Profile: Thomas Jestin '13

Thomas Jestin ‘13 is an AI Policy Advisor at the Canadian Privy Council Office, living in Ottawa, ON. His team advises the Prime Minister and the Clerk on the opportunities that AI holds for Canada on the world stage, with Canada already lagging behind many of its G7 partners.

Coming to HTS in grade 7, the sense of community and friendships he was able to build at HTS surprised him - many of whom he still keeps in touch with now. Leaving HTS without a fully defined career path, Thomas followed in the footsteps of his sister Victoria ‘10, and attended King’s College in Halifax for their foundation year program.

He paired his King’s education with a degree in political science from Dalhousie that eventually culminated in a thesis on power and liberty ethics in big data. 

Post-undergraduate degree, Thomas took some time to go backpacking and pursue opportunities in Vancouver’s acting scene after a prolific high school drama career at HTS. After a couple of years of fulfilling work, he decided to pursue a masters in public policy, under preeminent AI ethicist, Joanna Bryson, at the Hertie School in Berlin.

From there, he was able to get his thesis into the right hands - specifically, his work on digital governance piqued the interest of a new team at Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada. He had the requisite experience in compliance and government work they were looking for, was hired and learned a lot from that experience. 

During his time at ISED, he was jointly responsible for the proposed artificial intelligence and data act, international negotiations and other ethical AI initiatives that support the innovation ecosystem in Canada while ensuring the responsible use of the emerging technology.

Now, working harder than ever before at the Privy Council Office, the projects he supports constantly adapt to the digital landscape. While we live in uncertain economic and political times, Thomas remains positive by reiterating that “in times of transitions, there are both challenges and opportunities - it’s all about preparation and foresight.”

A  recent highlight from Thomas’ job was the French AI Action Summit in February, where his office coordinated participation across the whole government. He particularly enjoys the global implications of his work and speaks candidly about no country implementing everything perfectly. “It all depends on each country’s context.”

One thing, in particular, Thomas took from HTS was the extended metaphor of a dot in a circular diagram from Grade 10 Careers class. “As you start to learn, you start to push out, making a wider circle and then as you become a specialist in a certain subject, you start to go towards the circle's edge in a particular spot.”

After graduating from HTS, he never thought he’d specialize in one field or topic, but over the years he’s realized how fulfilling it is..

Thomas exemplifies the HTS Graduate Profile competency of impact by ensuring that Canada continues to be on the forefront of responsible and equitable AI innovation. He urges other HTS alums to take some time to explore your passions after university, regardless if they line up with your career aspirations - you’ll regret it if you don’t.