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AI-Assisted Classification of Digital Archival Records

Research & Development

What it collects

Operational data
Anonymized data
  • 25,000 digital archival files held by Library and Archives Canada, used as the input corpus for document classification. The register confirms no personal information is involved.
Run by
Library and Archives Canada (LAC)
Where
No fixed location
Kept
Not stated by the Helpful Places.
Shared with
Not stated by the Helpful Places.
Your copy
You cannot see the data it holds about you. What you can do

What it is for

Research & Development

This pilot system used AI tools to automatically classify and add metadata to a sample of 25,000 digital archival files held by Library and Archives Canada. It was developed by a vendor (Xtract AI) and used exclusively by Government of Canada employees — not members of the public. The system has since been retired and did not process personal information.

What it collects and what happens to it

Data taken in

Operational data
Anonymized data
  • 25,000 digital archival files held by Library and Archives Canada, used as the input corpus for document classification. The register confirms no personal information is involved.

Processing

Classification & Prediction
  • Natural language processing and classification algorithms are used to automatically assign document categories and generate metadata for archival files. The specific model family is not disclosed in the register.

What it does

Deciding (Analytical AI)
Human decides
  • The system classifies and scores archival documents, assigning categories and generating metadata. Outputs are labels and classification decisions that GC employees review and act upon.

Outputs

Operational data
Anonymized data
  • Document classification labels, metadata records, and information architecture integration outputs produced for the 25,000 archival files. No personal information is included in the output.

Run by

Library and Archives Canada (LAC)
  • Federal institution accountable for deploying this AI pilot to classify digital archival records. Primary users were Government of Canada employees.

AI Register 2526-LAC-BAC-001

Built by

Xtract AI
  • Third-party vendor that built and supplied the AI textual analysis tools used in the pilot. The system was developed by this vendor on behalf of Library and Archives Canada.

AI Register 2526-LAC-BAC-001

Kept for

Not stated by the Helpful Places.

Shared with

Not available to me
  • The system was used exclusively by Government of Canada employees and was not accessible to members of the public. No access channel is described for citizens.

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 (GC employees). The system is a pilot and its use of AI has been made known to those interacting with it, in accordance with the register disclosure flag.

Risks and safeguards

No risks or safeguards have been published for this system yet.