Like other governments around the world, the Canadian federal government has turned to technology to improve the quality and efficiency of its public services and programs. Many of these improvements are powered by artificial intelligence (AI), which can raise concerns when introduced to deliver services to vulnerable communities.
To ensure responsible use of AI, the Canadian government developed the “algorithmic impact assessment” tool, which determines the impact of automated decision systems.
Pilot project
The algorithmic impact assessment was introduced in April 2020, and very little is known about how it was developed. But one of the projects that informed its development has garnered concern from media: the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) AI pilot project.