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AI-Assisted Routing for Access to Information Requests

Inform

What it collects

About behaviour
Anonymized data
  • Submitted ATIP request content: the text of the request as entered by the Canadian requester, used to classify and route it to the correct federal institution. The AIA states personal information is not used as input data.
Operational data
Anonymized data
  • Data from multiple federal sources used to train and operate the routing system, including institutional metadata and historical ATIP request data collected by the Treasury Board Secretariat.
Run by
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)
Where
No fixed location
Kept
Retained Not specified in source materials
Shared with
Accountable organization
Your copy
You cannot see the data it holds about you. What you can do

What it is for

Inform

This system is a central online portal that helps Canadians submit Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) requests to the federal government. It uses AI capabilities to analyze, categorize, and route requests to the appropriate government institution. Decisions made by the system can be overridden by a human decision-maker, and if a request is misdirected, it is redirected to the correct institution. The system's underlying algorithm is considered a trade secret and may be difficult to interpret or explain.

What it collects and what happens to it

Data taken in

About behaviour
Anonymized data
  • Submitted ATIP request content: the text of the request as entered by the Canadian requester, used to classify and route it to the correct federal institution. The AIA states personal information is not used as input data.
Operational data
Anonymized data
  • Data from multiple federal sources used to train and operate the routing system, including institutional metadata and historical ATIP request data collected by the Treasury Board Secretariat.

Processing

Classification & Prediction
  • Applies text and speech analysis, content categorization, and triage logic to classify incoming ATIP requests and predict the appropriate receiving federal institution. Uses audio and text file analysis of unstructured data.

What it does

Deciding (Analytical AI)
Human decides
  • The system analyzes and categorizes ATIP requests, tagging and routing them to the appropriate federal institution. It assists human decision-makers who retain the ability to override the system's outputs.
Understanding (Semantic AI)
Human decides
  • The system applies text and speech analysis to recognize, process, and tag submitted request content in order to route it appropriately.

Outputs

A recommendation or prediction
Anonymized data
  • A routing recommendation that assigns each submitted ATIP request to a specific federal government institution. The system may render decisions without direct human involvement, but human override is enabled.

Run by

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)
  • Treasury Board Secretariat (CIOB branch) is accountable for the design, development, maintenance, and improvement of the ATIP Online Request Service, as confirmed by the AIA.

ATIP Digital Services AIA

Built by

Not stated by the Helpful Places.

Kept for

Retained Not specified in source materials
  • The system maintains an audit trail recording all recommendations and decisions, change control processes, and system version information. Specific retention duration is not stated in the AIA.
  • Duration: Not specified in source materials

Shared with

Available to the accountable organization
  • The federal government controls the data. The audit trail, decision logs, and system outputs are available to the Treasury Board Secretariat and relevant government institutions for monitoring and oversight purposes.
Not available to me
  • Individual requesters do not have direct access to the system's internal routing logic or audit trail. The algorithm is a trade secret. Requesters may seek an explanation of decisions upon request, but internal data is not individually accessible.

Stored

Stored locally
  • Data is controlled by the federal government of Canada and stored within Canadian federal infrastructure. The data is also posted on the Open Government Portal.
  • Duration: Not specified in source materials
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 UseA plain language notice is posted on the program or service website informing users that an automated decision system is in use. Requesters are informed that AI is involved in the routing of their ATIP submissions.
  • Right to a Human ReviewHuman override of system decisions is enabled. A human decision-maker can review and override routing decisions made by the automated system. Instances of override are logged in the audit trail.
  • Right to ContestA recourse process is established for clients who wish to challenge a decision made by the system. Requesters may also seek a meaningful explanation for any decision that resulted in the denial of a benefit, service, or other regulatory action.
  • Right to Algorithmic TransparencyA plain language notice about the automated system is publicly posted. However, the algorithm is considered a trade secret and may be difficult to interpret or explain, which limits the depth of transparency available to requesters about the system's internal logic.

Risks and safeguards

  • Civil liberties harmThe algorithm is a trade secret and may be difficult to interpret, raising concerns about transparency and the right to understand how requests are routed. A misdirected request could temporarily delay a person's exercise of their right to access information. Mitigations include human override capability, an audit trail recording all decision points and system version, a recourse process for clients to challenge decisions, a plain-language notice on the website, and ongoing monitoring for unintentional outcomes. A Gender Based Analysis Plus was conducted to examine potential disparate impacts.
  • Reputational harmMisclassification of requests could result in incorrect routing that delays or misdirects an individual's legitimate ATIP request, potentially affecting their standing or access to records.Safeguard: The system provides an audit trail, supports human override, and a misdirected request is immediately redirected to the appropriate Government of Canada institution.