Treasury Board of Canada Guide on Use of Artificial Intelligence by Federal Institutions

The Treasury Board Secretariat, a central agency of the Canadian federal government that develops policy on how government is managed and how it regulates, has published a Guide on the use of generative AI:

"Federal institutions should explore potential uses of generative AI tools for supporting and improving  their operations. However, because these tools are evolving, they should not be used in all cases. Federal institutions must be cautious and evaluate the risks before they start using them. The use of  these tools should be restricted to instances where risks can be effectively managed."

"This document provides preliminary guidance to federal institutions on their use of generative AI tools. This includes instances where these tools are deployed by federal institutions. It provides an overview of generative AI, identifies challenges and concerns 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 (...)"

"The guide complements and supports compliance with many existing federal laws and policies,  including in areas of privacy, security, intellectual property, and human rights. The guide is intended to be evergreen as TBS recognizes the need for iteration to keep pace with regulatory and technological change."

It also comes with a very useful series of FAQS near the end of the document:

The Guide was listed in the most recent issue of the Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List, a great tool for discovering new research reports published by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government. 

It is a record of all federal publications catalogued in the previous week.