Overview

AI has the potential to help our government transform vital programs and services to better serve people and businesses, while also saving them time and money.

As with all new technologies, the use of AI must be rooted in democratic principles and fundamental rights. That is why, in order to protect the people of Ontario, we are developing our province’s first Trustworthy AI Framework.

The Framework will be made up of policies, products and guidance to set out risk-based rules for the transparent, responsible and accountable use of AI by the Ontario government.

Our priorities

The Trustworthy AI Framework will be grounded in three strategic priorities. They are:

1. No AI in secret: This means that we will provide a clear understanding of how and when AI is used.

2. AI use the people of Ontario can trust: This means that we must clearly define risks of AI use and work to prevent them to proactively protect the people of Ontario.

3. AI that serves all the people of Ontario: This guarantees that the right processes will be in place to challenge decisions made with the use of AI.

Principles for Ethical Use of AI [Beta]

These Beta Principles for Ethical Use of AI set out six points to align the use of data-enhanced technologies within government processes, programs, and services with ethical considerations and values.

The Government of Ontario has undertaken extensive jurisdictional scans of ethical principles across the world, in particular New Zealand, the United States, and the European Union, and major research organizations, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The Ontario “beta” principles complement the Canadian federal principles. Ontario’s principles support our diverse economic ecosystem by aligning with existing best practices, principles, and frameworks. This approach references and harmonizes with known standards, principles, and tools to create clarity rather than barriers for innovation.

We’re in the early stages of bringing these principles to life. We encourage you to consider to what degree your organization can adopt these principles, and to share your feedback with us. You can email digital.government@ontario.ca for more details.

What we’ve heard

From May 7 to June 4, 2021, we asked for your input and ideas on how government can develop an AI framework that is accountable, safe and rights-based. Learn more about what we heard and our next steps.