Statistics Canada has developed the Census Comments Data Capture system to improve the efficiency and accuracy of processing paper census questionnaires. This system uses Microsoft Azure AI Document Intelligence to automatically convert images of handwritten and printed responses from census questionnaires into digital text data. The system is currently in development and is designed to be used by Government of Canada employees who process census responses.
This AI system processes personal information collected from Canadian census respondents. The system reads written comments and responses from paper questionnaires and converts them into text that can be stored and analyzed. While this automation improves processing speed and consistency, it is important for citizens to understand how their written responses are being digitized and handled.
This system has been evaluated for AI-related risks and transparency. Citizens have the right to understand how their census data is being processed by automated systems, to access information about their responses, and to have their data handled according to privacy protections. The system focuses specifically on capturing and digitizing text from census questionnaires submitted by the public.
