Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali announced on Friday the launch of the federal government’s inaugural public AI register, detailing the utilization and testing of artificial intelligence within federal departments. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat revealed that the register, now available at the provided link, consolidates insights from 43 organizations and encompasses more than 400 AI systems in various stages of exploration, development, implementation, or deployment.
The register aims to enhance organizational visibility of AI activities across government, facilitating improved planning, minimized duplication, and the identification of efficiency enhancement opportunities within departments. Initial register entries feature information about each AI system’s purpose, description, current or intended use, and whether it was internally developed or sourced from a vendor. Ongoing refinement and updates to the register will be managed by federal organizations.
This initiative aligns with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into federal operations for enhanced efficiency. In September, the government announced a pilot program introducing an AI tool across six departments and agencies to aid in translating official languages for public service applications. The most recent federal budget disclosed plans for establishing an Office of Digital Transformation to implement and scale technology solutions across the federal government, fostering opportunities for local innovators.
Furthermore, the budget outlined the collaboration between Shared Services Canada (SSC), the Department of National Defence, and the Communications Security Establishment to develop an AI tool tailored for federal use. SSC will engage with prominent Canadian AI firms to create this internal tool. Several departments and agencies have identified AI applications to generate savings by streamlining workflows, reducing manual tasks, and enhancing service delivery. For instance, the Department of Justice will integrate AI, advanced analytics, and automation tools to streamline operations, while Transport Canada plans to leverage AI and automation to optimize resource allocation for repetitive tasks.
Lastly, the budget proposed allocating $25 million over six years, starting this year, to Statistics Canada for the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Measurement Program (TechStat). This program will utilize data to assess AI utilization by organizations and evaluate the technology’s societal impact in Canada.