Thank you very much.
Mr. Chair, members of the committee, thank you for inviting my colleagues and me to appear before you today regarding the opportunities, risks and implications arising from artificial intelligence for Canada's democratic institution.
As mentioned, I'm pleased to be joined by my colleagues, Natalie and Chris. Behind us on the backbench, we have representatives from digital services, legal, finance and procedure, so that we are ready to answer any and all of your questions.
AI is rapidly changing how information is created, analyzed and shared, and within the House's digital environment the use of AI-enabled tools is becoming increasingly prevalent. While there are possibilities for innovation across the parliamentary environment, we must also carefully consider how these new opportunities can be balanced with the protection of people, information, systems and processes, as well as with the key principles that are fundamental to parliamentary democracy.
A recent article in The Economist on AI-generated political speeches illustrates how quickly questions about authenticity, accountability and appropriate use are moving from the theoretical to the practical.
The House administration's role involves helping to establish a secure and trusted environment in which AI can be used responsibly. We have already been laying a stable foundation to prepare and protect the institution, members and employees. This includes clear guidance, appropriate guardrails, training and support, and carefully designed proofs of concept that allow us to learn before expanding.
In 2024, the House administration established the AI working group to provide immediate guidance on generative AI and to develop a long-term AI strategy. Its cross-organizational membership and co-leadership from the parliamentary business and technology sectors reflect the reality that addressing AI in our organization is a fundamental shift that requires expertise and collaboration from all sectors.
Following the June 2024 launch of AI guidelines for employees, the House administration consulted with the recognized parties and released AI guidelines for members and their staff the following year. Both sets of guidelines explain how to use generative AI safely and ethically, while the guidelines for members also address protecting their information and that of their constituents.
At the same time, the House administration has created an AI-dedicated space on Source, bringing together the guidelines as well as information on the security ratings of AI tools, writing effective prompts, acquiring AI tool licences, and other reference materials.
AI and cybersecurity content was also incorporated into the members' orientation program, as well as into awareness materials distributed as part of Cyber Security Awareness Month, a practice we intend to continue and expand this year.
For the more serious AI challenges, such as deepfakes or other security risks, the House has also developed clear guidance and coordinated support for members. Through a “no wrong door approach”, the House administration will coordinate assistance from all service areas on topics related to AI.
Finally, consultations with the recognized parties also identified the need for a secure generative AI tool. In response, the House is conducting a proof of concept with members selected by the whips to assess the viability of offering such a service. It allows for the exploration of practical use cases within an institutionally managed environment with stronger protections for our data. The proof of concept will help assess the technology’s value; understand its implications for information security, privacy and data governance; and identify the guardrails, training, support and resources required for broader implementation.
The House administration recognizes the importance of safeguarding the integrity, security and non-partisan nature of our parliamentary operations, while supporting informed and responsible AI adoption. Consistent with our mandate to anticipate members’ evolving needs and to innovate in support of your work and parliamentary democracy, we will continue to invest in the people, safeguards and tools required for the responsible use of AI at the House of Commons.
We welcome the committee’s guidance and support as we continue this work.
This concludes our opening remarks. We would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you.