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AI-Assisted Document Tagging and Metadata Organization

Inform · Planning & Decision-making

What it collects

Operational data
Anonymized data
  • Internal government documents stored on HRSB's SharePoint Online, comprising approximately 4 million documents (up to 20 million total). The register states no personal information is involved.
Run by
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Where
No fixed location
Kept
Not stated by the Helpful Places.
Shared with
Accountable organization
Your copy
You cannot see the data it holds about you. What you can do

What it is for

InformPlanning & Decision-making

This system uses artificial intelligence to automatically identify and apply metadata tags to millions of documents held by Employment and Social Development Canada's Human Resources Services Branch. It processes internal government documents stored on SharePoint to organize large information holdings. The system is in development and is used by Government of Canada employees, not members of the public. AI use is disclosed to users.

What it collects and what happens to it

Data taken in

Operational data
Anonymized data
  • Internal government documents stored on HRSB's SharePoint Online, comprising approximately 4 million documents (up to 20 million total). The register states no personal information is involved.

Processing

Language Models
  • Natural language processing models, including generative AI, are used to read document content and produce metadata tags. Delivered via Microsoft EVA Domain or MS Purview.

What it does

Understanding (Semantic AI)
Human decides
  • The system uses natural language processing to understand document content and extract meaningful metadata tags. Employees review and use the tagged results.
Creating (Generative AI)
Human decides
  • Generative AI capabilities are used to produce or suggest metadata tags and classifications for documents. Employees review AI-generated suggestions.

Outputs

Generated content
Anonymized data
  • AI-generated metadata tags and classifications applied to government documents. These outputs are not about individual people, as the register confirms no personal information is involved.

Run by

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
  • The federal department accountable for deploying and developing this AI system, specifically through the Human Resources Services Branch (HRSB).

Government of Canada AI Register — SmartTagging for HRSB/College@ESDC

Built by

Microsoft
  • Microsoft is the vendor supplying the AI technology for this system, including EVA Domain or MS Purview capabilities used for document tagging.

Government of Canada AI Register — SmartTagging for HRSB/College@ESDC

Kept for

Not stated by the Helpful Places.

Shared with

Available to the accountable organization
  • Tagged documents and metadata outputs are available to ESDC employees, specifically GC employees working within HRSB.
Not available to me
  • This system processes internal government documents only. Members of the public cannot access the system or its outputs.

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 Algorithmic TransparencyAI use is disclosed to users of this system. Government of Canada employees interacting with SmartTagging are informed that AI is in use. Further information about the system is publicly available through the Government of Canada's Algorithmic Impact Assessment register.

Risks and safeguards

  • Reputational harmIncorrect metadata tags could misclassify documents, potentially affecting how information is retrieved or managed. As the system is applied to internal government documents without personal information, direct harm to individuals is limited.Safeguard: the system is in development and human employees (GC employees) serve as primary users who can review and correct tagging outputs.