Overview
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools offer many potential benefits to Government of Canada (GC) institutions. Federal institutions should explore potential uses of generative AI tools for supporting and improving their operations, but they should not use these tools in all cases. Institutions must be cautious and evaluate the risks before they start using them. They should also limit the use of these tools to instances where they can manage the risks effectively.
This document provides guidance to federal institutions on their use of generative AI tools. This includes instances where federal institutions are deploying these tools. It provides an overview of generative AI, identifies challenges relating to its use, puts forward principles for using it responsibly, and offers policy considerations and best practices.
This guide also seeks to raise awareness and foster coordination among federal institutions. It highlights the importance of engaging key stakeholders before deploying generative AI tools for public use and before using them for purposes such as service delivery.
Stakeholders include:
- legal counsel
- privacy and security experts
- the Office of the Chief Information Officer at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)
- bargaining agents
- advisory groups
- clients of GC services
The guide complements and supports compliance with many existing federal laws and policies, including those in the areas of privacy, security, intellectual property, and human rights.
This second version of the guide incorporates feedback from internal stakeholders and external experts.
It will be updated regularly to keep pace with regulatory and technological change.
To support public servants considering the use of these tools in their daily work, a concise summary of this guide offering do’s and don’ts is also available.