In a landmark moment for digital governance, the Government of Canada unveiled its first-ever AI Strategy for the federal public service, marking a significant milestone in the responsible integration of artificial intelligence into public administration. Announced by the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, President of the Treasury Board, at the University of Waterloo’s Data and Artificial Intelligence Institute, the Strategy signals Canada’s commitment to ethical, effective, and innovative AI adoption across government operations.
Vision & Foundations
This Strategy is deeply rooted in public engagement and expert input. Developed through extensive consultations—including a “What We Heard” report published in January 2025, it reflects Canada’s democratic values and positions AI as a tool to enhance service delivery without compromising ethical standards.
Key aims include boosting workforce productivity, enriching scientific research, and delivering enhanced digital services, all while strengthening trust, transparency, and accountability in AI use.
Four Strategic Pillars
1. AI Centre of Expertise & Shared Infrastructure
- Establishes a central hub to coordinate AI initiatives, provide guidance, share best practices, and facilitate interdepartmental collaboration.
- Builds secure, scalable infrastructure including high-performance computing, shared data platforms, and approved AI tools and APIs.
- Launches a lighthouse project based on scaling a self-serve language hub across departments, serving as a pilot for governance and replicability.
2. Robust Governance & ‘Think AI’ Culture
- Implements a unified governance and risk-management framework incorporating provisions for Indigenous data sovereignty, ethical oversight, and AI safety.
- Conducts policy reviews to eliminate barriers to AI adoption, aligning with broader Indigenous and international obligations.
- Mandates a ‘Think AI’ approach: departments must proactively identify business problems suitable for AI solutions, embedding AI considerations in early-stage planning, such as Treasury Board submissions, Memoranda to Cabinet, and funding proposals.
3. Talent Development & Recruitment
- Addresses a pressing 30% vacancy rate in digital roles with a comprehensive training plan featuring general and role-specific content via the Canada School of Public Service.
- Benchmarks AI skill levels across public servants to tailor learning pathways and inform recruitment.
- Designs a talent strategy focusing on flexible data-science career paths, apprenticeships, and retention incentives.
4. Transparency, Engagement & Public Value
- Enhances accountability through new AI disclosure standards, including explanations of how systems make decisions, rights to recourse, and the creation of a public AI systems register.
- Develops performance metrics and tracking mechanisms for deployment, scaling, and departmental AI investments.
- Commits to early and ongoing public and stakeholder consultations, ensuring inclusive and open dialogue—especially with communities, clients, and public servants.
Real-World Applications: AI in Action
The Strategy builds on a foundation of existing AI initiatives across departments:
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada: AI triage models have streamlined over 7 million routine cases, freeing officers to focus on complex reviews.
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgPal Chat: A generative AI tool helping farmers navigate government support programs.
- Public Services and Procurement Canada: AI assistant aiding pay advisors in backlog management.
- Statistics Canada: AI tools helping track public health trends via death data analysis.
- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada: AI-driven transcription and summarization for parliamentary committee proceedings.
- Shared Services Canada: CANChat, a multilingual AI chatbot ensuring data stays within Canada.
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: The AI-powered Assemblyline tool scans over 1 billion files annually for cyber threats.
- Transport Canada: The AI-enabled PACT system has increased air cargo screening from 6% to 100% of flights, with a tenfold increase in shipments screened per hour.
A Living Strategy with Forward Momentum
- Biennial Updates: The government plans to revisit and update the AI Strategy every two years to remain responsive to technological shifts and feedback.
- Future Legislation & Complementary Actions: While federal AI legislation has faced hurdles, such as the postponement of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act, this Strategy demonstrates Canada’s ongoing commitment to contextually grounded AI policy and responsible adoption.
Conclusion
Canada’s 2025 AI Strategy for the federal public service is a holistic, ethically anchored blueprint for AI integration. By fostering centralized expertise, secure infrastructure, transparent governance, and a skilled workforce, the Strategy paves the way for responsible innovation. Its emphasis on openness, engagement, and iterative improvement positions Canada not just as a technologist, but as a thoughtful steward of AI in service to its citizens.
