AI-Assisted Speech and Text Conversion for Workplace Accessibility

Accessibility

What it collects that can identify you

Biometric

Identifiable data

The speech-to-text function captures spoken audio (voice) from the employee using the system, which is a biological signal tied to an identifiable individual in the workplace context.

Government of Canada AI Register — 2526-RCMP-GRC-004

About behaviour

Identifiable data

The system processes information communicated by the employee in the context of their work, which includes records of what the employee said or typed during work tasks.

Government of Canada AI Register — 2526-RCMP-GRC-004

Run by: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
Where: No fixed location
Kept: Not stated by the Helpful Places.
Shared with: Not stated by the Helpful Places.

What it is for

Accessibility

This system uses Dragon NaturallySpeaking software (developed by Nuance Communications Inc.) to support a Government of Canada employee with a disability by converting spoken words to text and text to spoken words. It is a workplace accommodation tool, not a decision-making system, and processes the work-related speech and text of the employee using it. Users may not be aware that AI is involved, as disclosure to users is currently not in place.

What it collects and what happens to it

Data taken in

Biometric

Identifiable data

The speech-to-text function captures spoken audio (voice) from the employee using the system, which is a biological signal tied to an identifiable individual in the workplace context.

Government of Canada AI Register — 2526-RCMP-GRC-004

About behaviour

Identifiable data

The system processes information communicated by the employee in the context of their work, which includes records of what the employee said or typed during work tasks.

Government of Canada AI Register — 2526-RCMP-GRC-004

Processing

Speech & Audio

Dragon NaturallySpeaking performs both speech-to-text (transcription of the employee's spoken words into text) and text-to-speech (conversion of written text into synthesized spoken audio).

Government of Canada AI Register — 2526-RCMP-GRC-004

What it does

Sensing (Perceptive AI)

Human decides

The speech-to-text component senses spoken audio from the employee and converts it into structured text that the employee then uses in their work.

Government of Canada AI Register — 2526-RCMP-GRC-004

Creating (Generative AI)

Human decides

The text-to-speech component generates synthesized spoken audio from text input, allowing the employee to hear written content read aloud.

Government of Canada AI Register — 2526-RCMP-GRC-004

Outputs

Generated content

Anonymized data

The text-to-speech function produces synthesized spoken audio from written text. The speech-to-text function produces a text transcription of spoken words. Both outputs are used solely by the employee for their own work tasks.

Government of Canada AI Register — 2526-RCMP-GRC-004

Run by

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

The RCMP deploys Dragon NaturallySpeaking to fulfill a workplace accommodation requirement for an employee with a disability.

Government of Canada AI Register — 2526-RCMP-GRC-004

Built by

Nuance Communications

Nuance Communications Inc. is the vendor that developed and supplies Dragon NaturallySpeaking, the speech-to-text and text-to-speech software used in this deployment.

Government of Canada AI Register — 2526-RCMP-GRC-004

Kept for

Not stated by the Helpful Places.

Shared with

Not stated by the Helpful Places.

Stored

Not stated by the Helpful Places.

How to read the colours

Can it identify you?

Anonymized data: Data about people with the link to who is broken. Stripped of identifiers, blurred, aggregated, or noised so this system can’t reasonably tie a record back to an individual.
Pseudonymous data: Each person’s data is tied to a token (hash, ID, template) that lets this system recognise the same person across events, but the token itself doesn’t reveal a name. Reidentification is possible with extra information.
Identifiable data: The data either contains a direct identifier (name, address, account name, recognisable face or voice, plate number) or carries a token this system uses to look up legal identity during processing.

Who completes the loop?

Human decides: This mode suggests; a person decides what to do next. The AI is always advisory — a human is in the loop on every decision. Example: a triage tool ranks cases for a clinician who chooses which to see first.
Human executes: This mode decides; a person carries out the result. Example: an optimizer plans the day’s trash-collection routes, and drivers run them.
Autonomous: This mode decides and acts on its own. No person reviews each decision or carries out the resulting action.

Definitions from the DTPR standard. Amber is about your data, violet about who decides. The fuller the shape and the deeper the colour, the more identifying the data or the less a person is involved.

What you can do

Ask about this system

Questions go to the Helpful Places, not the vendor.

Your rights

Right to Be Informed of AI UseThe register discloses that AI use is not currently disclosed to users of this system. Employees subject to this system have a right to be informed that AI is processing their speech and text. The RCMP has not yet implemented this disclosure.
Right to Algorithmic TransparencyEmployees may request information about how Dragon NaturallySpeaking processes their voice and text data by contacting the RCMP's privacy or accommodation office. The system's logic is described in publicly available vendor documentation from Nuance Communications Inc.

Risks and safeguards

Psychological harmThe employee using the system is not currently informed that AI is involved in processing their speech and text, which could undermine informed consent and trust.Safeguard: The RCMP should implement disclosure to affected users in accordance with Government of Canada responsible AI guidelines. The system is used for accommodation, not surveillance or decision-making, which limits the scope of this risk.