Question Period Note: Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

How is the government embracing AI while managing its potential risks?

• The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) and ensuring it is governed with clear values, ethics, and rules.
• Canada is a global leader in public sector AI, and we recently published an AI Strategy for the Federal Public Service to guide our path forward, further enhancing Canada’s leadership.
• The Strategy will accelerate responsible AI adoption throughout the federal public service to deliver better digital services for Canadians and businesses, enhance public service productivity, and increase our capacity for discovery through science and research.
• The Strategy was developed through extensive consultations with experts and the public. It will be renewed every two years to ensure it remains relevant and responsive to technological advances.

The Government of Canada’s approach to responsible AI
The federal government prioritizes transparency, accountability, and fairness in its AI work. In 2019, TBS issued the Directive on Automated Decision Making (Directive) to support this approach. The Directive sets out rules for how departments and agencies can use automated systems in service decisions. It applies to automated decision systems that make or support decisions impacting the rights, interests, or privileges of clients. Clients covered by the Directive include members of the public, businesses, and federal employees.

TBS has also created the Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA) tool to help federal institutions understand and manage the risks of their automation projects, and to determine applicable requirements under the Directive. The Directive requires federal institutions seeking to automate an administrative decision to complete and publish the AIA, which supports transparency and fosters public trust. AIAs published on the Open Government Portal provide a growing repository of examples of how AI is used to improve services, including immigration, public safety, and social benefits.

The Directive and AIA were developed in open collaboration with civil society, academia, industry, and other governments. TBS published amendments to the Directive in April 2023 following the completion of the third review of the instrument. The fourth review of the Directive is nearing completion. This review aims to strengthen protections for clients and federal institutions, support departments in implementing the directive, and reinforce commitments to transparency and accountability. TBS has also published guidance on the scope of the Directive and its peer review requirement in recent months.

In 2023, TBS issued a guide to support federal institutions in the responsible use of generative AI. The guide establishes principles to help public servants assess the risks associated with generative AI and use it responsibly during their day-to-day activities. It also offers policy considerations and best practices for federal institutions developing or deploying generative AI tools. The guide will help employees and federal institutions assess and mitigate risks, ensure they are complying with federal laws and policies, and use generative AI in a manner that maintains public trust in digital government. The guide was updated in February 2024. In October 2024, TBS published a summary of the guide which offers concise best practices to support public servants considering the use of generative AI in their daily work.

Complementing these efforts, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security also issued guidance that documents the cybersecurity risks associated with generative AI and the best practices to mitigate those risks.
In early 2024, TBS embarked on a project to develop its first AI Strategy for the Federal Public Service. It engaged stakeholders, partners and the public on Strategy development and in fall 2024 published a What We Heard Report summarizing the key themes and recommendations from participants.

The Strategy was published in March 2025. It sets out key actions to advance responsible AI adoption within the Government of Canada in four priority areas: central AI capacity, policy and governance, talent and training, and engagement, transparency and value to Canadians. An accompanying implementation plan will be published in summer 2025.

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