Question 1

What is TrueNorth Civic AI?

Accepted Answer

TrueNorth Civic AI is a secure, FOIPPA-compliant AI assistant designed specifically for Canadian municipal governments. It helps staff with research, document analysis, drafting, and administrative tasks while ensuring 100% Canadian data residency and compliance with privacy regulations.

Question 2

How do I create an account?

Accepted Answer

You can create an account by visiting our signup page and providing your work email address. Once registered, you'll need to verify your email. If your organization already has a TrueNorth account, you may receive an invitation email instead.

Question 3

Is TrueNorth free to use?

Accepted Answer

TrueNorth offers both Free and Enterprise tiers. The Free tier provides access to core chat functionality with basic features. Enterprise tier unlocks advanced features like Projects, Transcription, enhanced security controls, and priority support. Contact us for Enterprise pricing.

Question 4

What browsers are supported?

Accepted Answer

TrueNorth works best on modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge (latest 2 versions). For the best experience, we recommend keeping your browser updated. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Question 5

How do I update my profile information?

Accepted Answer

Navigate to Settings from the sidebar menu. You can update your name, job title, department, and profile picture. Your email and organization are managed by your administrator and cannot be changed from your profile.

Question 6

How do I upgrade to Enterprise?

Accepted Answer

If you're an individual user, go to Settings and click 'Request Upgrade'. If you're an administrator, contact our sales team directly. Enterprise upgrades provide access to Projects, Transcription, advanced DLP controls, and administrative features.

Question 7

How do I invite team members?

Accepted Answer

Click 'Invite a peer' from the sidebar or navigate to Team Management (admin only). Enter their email address and select their role. They'll receive an invitation email to join your organization.

Question 8

What happens if I forget my password?

Accepted Answer

Click 'Forgot Password' on the sign-in page. Enter your email address and we'll send you a password reset link. The link expires after 24 hours for security reasons.

Question 9

How do I start a new conversation?

Accepted Answer

Click the '+ New Chat' button in the sidebar or tap the hamburger menu and select 'New Chat'. Your conversation history is automatically saved and accessible from the sidebar.

Question 10

Can I upload documents to the chat?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Enterprise users can upload images (JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP) and documents (PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) directly in the chat. Click the attachment icons below the chat input. Free tier users can use text-only chat.

Question 11

What is the DLP scan?

Accepted Answer

DLP (Data Loss Prevention) scanning automatically checks your messages and uploads for personal information (PII) before processing. This ensures compliance with privacy regulations. You can view DLP scan results in the DLP Status Logs.

Question 12

How do I delete a conversation?

Accepted Answer

Hover over a conversation in the sidebar and click the delete icon. You'll be asked to confirm before permanently removing the conversation. This action cannot be undone.

Question 13

What are the thinking levels?

Accepted Answer

Thinking levels control AI response depth: Quick (fastest, basic responses), Fast (brief but thorough), Balanced (recommended default), and Deep (most comprehensive analysis). Higher levels take longer but provide more detailed responses.

Question 14

Can I provide feedback on responses?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Use the thumbs up/down buttons below each AI response to indicate if it was helpful. You can also copy responses using the copy button. Your feedback helps us improve the system.

Question 15

Why do chat responses take longer than other AI assistants?

Accepted Answer

TrueNorth provides grounded, authoritative responses by automatically checking provincial legislation, federal regulations, and municipal bylaws databases before answering. This verification process ensures your responses are accurate and compliant with Canadian law—unlike generic chatbots that may provide unverified information. The extra time delivers trustworthy answers you can rely on for municipal decision-making.

Question 16

What are Projects?

Accepted Answer

Projects allow you to create custom AI contexts with specific instructions and documents. They're perfect for recurring tasks like bylaw review, policy analysis, or specialized workflows. Each project can have its own knowledge base and custom prompts.

Question 17

How do I create a Project?

Accepted Answer

Navigate to the Projects page and click 'Create Project'. Give it a name, description, and optional custom instructions. You can also upload relevant documents to include in the project's knowledge base.

Question 18

What types of documents can I add to Projects?

Accepted Answer

You can upload PDFs, Word documents (.docx), Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx), and PowerPoint presentations (.pptx). Documents are automatically scanned for PII before being added to your project.

Question 19

How do documents in Projects affect chat responses?

Accepted Answer

When you chat within a project, the AI has access to all uploaded documents and custom instructions. This allows for more contextual and accurate responses based on your specific materials and requirements.

Question 20

What file formats are supported?

Accepted Answer

Images: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP. Documents: PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, XLS. Maximum file size is 10MB per file, with up to 5 files per upload. All files are scanned for PII before processing.

Question 21

How long are uploaded documents stored?

Accepted Answer

Documents uploaded to Projects are stored until you delete the project. Documents uploaded to individual chats are retained for the duration of that conversation. You can delete documents at any time.

Question 22

Can I remove documents after uploading?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can remove documents from Projects by editing the project. In chat conversations, you can remove attached files before sending your message by clicking the X on the file preview.

Question 23

Why did my document upload fail?

Accepted Answer

Common reasons: File exceeds 10MB limit, unsupported file format, or PII scan detected sensitive information that violates your organization's policies. Check the error message for specific details.

Question 24

Is my data stored in Canada?

Accepted Answer

Yes! TrueNorth maintains 100% Canadian data residency. All data is stored in Canada and protected by Canadian-managed encryption keys (CMEK), ensuring compliance with FOIPPA, PIPEDA, and other Canadian privacy regulations.

Question 25

Is my data used to train AI models?

Accepted Answer

No. TrueNorth operates on a Zero Training policy. Your data, conversations, and documents are never used to train AI models. Each interaction is processed independently without retaining information for model improvement.

Question 26

What is Protected B Ready?

Accepted Answer

Protected B Ready means TrueNorth is designed to handle information up to the Protected B classification level (as defined by the Government of Canada). This includes personal information requiring protection.

Question 27

How is PII (Personal Information) handled?

Accepted Answer

All uploads and messages are automatically scanned for PII by our DLP system. Detected PII can be redacted or blocked based on your organization's policies. Administrators can view DLP logs to monitor compliance.

Question 28

Who can access my conversations?

Accepted Answer

Only you can access your conversations. Organization administrators can see conversation metadata (titles, dates) but not content. TrueNorth support may access conversations only for troubleshooting with your explicit permission.

Question 29

What is Bylaw Scan?

Accepted Answer

Bylaw Scan is a specialized tool for researching and comparing municipal bylaws across British Columbia. It helps you analyze zoning regulations, noise bylaws, animal control, and more across different municipalities.

Question 30

What is Meeting Transcription?

Accepted Answer

Meeting Transcription (Enterprise) automatically converts audio recordings into formatted meeting minutes. Upload your council or committee meeting recording, and the system generates professionally formatted minutes with motions, votes, and action items.

Question 31

What are Prompts/Prompt Library?

Accepted Answer

The Prompt Library contains pre-written prompts optimized for municipal tasks. These templates help you get better results from the AI by providing structured requests for common workflows like report writing, bylaw analysis, and policy review.

Question 32

Can TrueNorth generate images?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Enterprise users can enable Image Generation mode by clicking the palette icon in the chat toolbar. Describe the image you want, and the AI will generate it. Toggle the mode off to return to text chat.

Question 33

What is the Prompt Assistant?

Accepted Answer

The Prompt Assistant helps you craft effective prompts. Click the 'Prompts' button in the chat toolbar to browse categories, view example prompts, and insert them into your chat with one click.

Question 34

What are Projects?

Accepted Answer

Projects allow you to create custom AI contexts with specialized knowledge and instructions. You can upload relevant documents, set custom instructions, and create focused environments for specific tasks like bylaw research, policy development, or department workflows. When you chat within a project, the AI has access to all uploaded documents and follows your custom instructions, providing more contextual and accurate responses tailored to your specific needs.

Question 35

The chat isn't responding. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

First, check your internet connection. If the issue persists, try refreshing the page. If the AI is taking too long, you may see a 'Stop' button - click it and try a shorter or more specific question.

Question 36

I can't upload files. Why?

Accepted Answer

File upload is an Enterprise feature. Free tier users have text-only chat. If you're Enterprise, ensure files are under 10MB and in supported formats (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, images). Check DLP logs if uploads are being blocked.

Question 37

The page isn't loading properly on mobile

Accepted Answer

Ensure you're using a modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge). Clear your browser cache and cookies. If issues persist, try accessing from a desktop computer or contact support with your device and browser details.

Question 38

My conversation history disappeared

Accepted Answer

Check that you're logged into the correct account. Conversations are tied to your user account. If you were recently invited to an organization, ensure you accepted the invitation. Contact support if conversations are still missing.

Question 39

How do I report a bug or request a feature?

Accepted Answer

Contact our support team at support@truenorthcivicai.ca. Include details about the issue, steps to reproduce, and screenshots if applicable. For feature requests, describe the use case and how it would help your workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Account & Billing

Chat & Conversations

Projects

Documents & Uploads

Security & Privacy

Features

Troubleshooting

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