The Canadian government is set to introduce their own public registry. This new effort will help public audiences track how artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the landscape of federal government activity. This initiative, announced by Ottawa’s Chief Data Officer Stephen Burt, seeks to provide transparency and track the various AI projects already underway across government departments.
Burton focused on the fact that the introduction of AI will make some degree of job cuts in the public service sector “unavoidable.” He promised that as work shifts away from energy industries, the government has a responsibility to provide employees options for retraining and transitioning their careers. Burt continued, “We need to be transparent with our workers about what we think is possible. There are supports out there to get them assistance.
Given that Prime Minister Mark Carney campaigned on using AI to make public services more efficient, this shouldn’t be surprising. Developing an agreement between the federal government and Cohere, a Canadian company specializing in large language models. Then, together, they will identify opportunities for AI to improve the way government works. AI isn’t the only tool Burt said is currently being used to increase government efficiency.
The effort to deploy generative AI in the public service has faced immense pushback from labor unions and other experts. Sean O’Reilly is the president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. He raised alarm bells about the potential role of AI in replacing jobs and eroding human judgment. O’Reilly reiterated that more communication with bargaining agents about developments in AI is needed. He explained that this kind of information only tends to come after the fact, with little time remaining to consult on the front end. He illustrated this by saying there are a lot of repetitive tasks that can be automated. The absence of any human judgment, especially in critical areas, is cause for alarm.
Sharon DeSousa, a union representative, echoed these sentiments by insisting that AI is not a suitable replacement for human interaction in public services. “Canadians don’t need help from a chatbot, an automated phone tree or AI dead end,” she claimed. DeSousa challenged Prime Minister Carney to open a dialogue with unions and frontline workers. This conversation is very much needed before AI is fully deployed in every government service.
Catherine Connelly, an associate professor at McMaster University, provided perspective on the matter as well. She noted that although innovation is important, AI should not be seen as a cheap fix for providing stronger public services. She applauded their initiatives, stating, “It’s great that they’re being creative! Love that they are focusing on cost, performance, and productivity.” Connelly warned against using AI in sensitive applications like hiring decisions or circumstances involving high liability exposure.
The trend towards AI is only accelerating. Meanwhile, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has ordered federal departments and agencies to identify 15 percent in program spending cuts within three years. This budgetary constraint raises further questions. How do we advance the technology while maintaining the space for human decision-making that we all agree is essential to public service?
DeSousa blasted these cuts, arguing they would severely erode quality services for those most in need. “AI won’t solve the core problems in departments and that cuts to the public service mean fewer services for people who need them,” she explained.
The Canadian government is just beginning its journey toward greater efficiency powered by AI. This transition is raising critical questions among stakeholders about its impact on the broader workforce and delivery of services.
