Minister Shafqat Ali, head of the Treasury Board, in a statement emphasized that the register is a key step in building citizens' trust and ensuring the responsible use of AI technology in the federal administration.
Currently, the registry collects data from 42 government institutions, covering over 400 systems in which artificial intelligence is already implemented, used or developed. The register contains both information about fully functioning systems and projects at an early stage of development.
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The register will be updated
Although the current version of the register is only a first step, the authorities plan to expand it. Public consultations have been announced for next year to help determine what additional information should be included. Once completed, the register will be updated regularly. However, the list does not include tools such as virtual assistants or spell checking programs.
The register contains data on systems used by the intelligence community for cybersecurity analyzes or export risk assessment, as well as on tools used by the tax office and institutions supporting veterans. Examples also include an AI translation tool. The registry announcement noted that “machine translation was used in the preparation of this document” and the results were additionally verified by analysts.
AI is intended to relieve the burden on officials
In recent months, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a broad modernization of Canada's public administration. The introduction of the register is one of the elements of this reform, aimed not only at improving efficiency, but also at reducing the duplication of activities of offices. The registry provides detailed descriptions of each system, including its goals, how it works, and information about its developers – whether they were government teams or external contractors.
The Canadian government hopes that artificial intelligence will relieve officials from routine tasks, allowing them to focus on more complex duties. Additionally, according to the adopted “AI Strategy”, analytical tools are intended to improve decision-making and increase the security of government systems and support scientific research.
AI affects almost 3/4 of jobs
The budget adopted in November also planned the creation of a digital transformation office, which will support government institutions in the process of implementing new technologies. The government, in cooperation with the military, intelligence and the largest Canadian companies in the AI sector, also intends to develop a national artificial intelligence system for public administration needs.
At the same time, the authorities introduced budget cuts to modernize the administration. All government ministries and agencies were required to find savings of 15%. within three years. More than 1.1 million people currently work in the public sector in Canada. According to a report by The Dais think tank from Toronto Metropolitan University, AI technology already affects 74 percent. jobs in the public sector.
Artificial intelligence is not new to Canadian government. The first AI systems began to be implemented there in 1994. Now, with the development of technology, their role is to be much greater.
