It has been using it for almost 300 initiatives
The federal government has been found to be using artificial intelligence when it comes to projects and initiatives, according to research conducted by an associate professor at Western University, as reported in an article by BNN Bloomberg.
Associate Professor Joanna Redden had compiled news reports and documents that were tabled in the Parliament as well as access-to-information requests in order to create a database. The register had seen a total of 303 automated tools, with 95% of these found to be used by federal government agencies.
Redden pointed out the need for further discussion regarding the types of systems that the government should be utilizing as well as information regarding how they are being used. This is because the data shows a problem regarding the proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act.
“That piece of legislation is not going to apply to, for the most part, government uses of AI. So the sheer number of applications that we've identified demonstrates what a problem that is,” said Redden.
The legislation will be introducing new obligations for systems such as employment, which the Department of National Defense had previously experimented with using AI in order to reduce bias when it comes to hiring decisions.
Notably, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada had previously conducted two pilot projects, which helped officers in approving temporary resident visa applications using AI in sorting our applications and determining positive eligibility. As the projects became permanent in the department’s operations, it clarified that AI was not used in the final decision-making.
Redden took two years to compile the data for her study, which was based on limited information gathered from various sources. The information that was readily available did not usually show when or why an AI system was used in an agency’s operations as well as if it was still being used, what kind of data was being used, or if there were any problems with it.
The associate professor pointed out that the use of AI all over government bodies in Canada was widespread but there is alarmingly little-known information about how it was being used.
