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AI-Powered Search and Discovery for StatCan Data

Inform · Research & Development

What it collects

Operational data
Anonymized data
  • The system ingests Statistics Canada website publications and datasets — publicly available government statistical data and reports. No personal information is included in the data sources.
Run by
Statistics Canada (StatCan)
Where
No fixed location
Kept
Not stated by the Helpful Places.
Shared with
Accountable organization, Me

What it is for

InformResearch & Development

This system uses vectorization — a technique that converts text into searchable mathematical representations — to make Statistics Canada publications and datasets easier to find through AI tools such as large language models (LLMs) and Model Context Protocol (MCP) technology. It is designed for both Statistics Canada employees and the general public. The system does not process personal information, and its use of AI is disclosed to users.

What it collects and what happens to it

Data taken in

Operational data
Anonymized data
  • The system ingests Statistics Canada website publications and datasets — publicly available government statistical data and reports. No personal information is included in the data sources.

Processing

Search & Retrieval
  • Vector embeddings of StatCan content are stored in a vector database and queried using semantic similarity search, enabling LLMs and MCP-compatible tools to retrieve relevant StatCan publications and datasets in response to natural-language queries.

What it does

Understanding (Semantic AI)
Human decides
  • The system converts StatCan publications and datasets into vector embeddings so that AI tools (LLMs, MCP clients) can find semantically relevant content in response to a user's query. The system surfaces matches and relevant data; the user decides what to use.

Outputs

A recommendation or prediction
Anonymized data
  • The system outputs ranked or retrieved StatCan publications and datasets surfaced within LLM responses or MCP-enabled interfaces. These are recommendations or search results, not binding decisions, and contain no personal information.

Run by

Statistics Canada (StatCan)
  • Statistics Canada is the federal department accountable for this system. The system is currently in development and is intended to improve discoverability of StatCan data for both employees and the public.

Government of Canada AI Register — Vectorization of data (2526-StatCan-003)

Built by

Government of Canada
  • The system was developed internally by the Government of Canada, with no external vendor identified in the register entry.

Government of Canada AI Register — Vectorization of data (2526-StatCan-003)

Kept for

Not stated by the Helpful Places.

Shared with

Available to the accountable organization
  • The outputs of the system (retrieved StatCan publications and datasets) are available to Statistics Canada employees as one of the primary user groups.
Available to me
  • The system is designed as a citizen-facing application. Members of the public are identified as primary users and can access StatCan data through AI-enhanced interfaces.

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 TransparencyStatistics Canada discloses AI use to users of this system. The underlying method (vectorization of publicly available StatCan content) is described in the Government of Canada AI Register entry 2526-StatCan-003. Further inquiries may be directed to Statistics Canada.
  • Right to Be Informed of AI UseThe register confirms that AI use is disclosed to users. Users interacting with StatCan data through LLM or MCP interfaces are informed that AI is in operation.

Risks and safeguards

  • Societal & cultural harmLLM-mediated retrieval of statistical data may introduce hallucination or distortion of official StatCan figures, potentially eroding trust in official statistics.Safeguard: The system vectorizes official StatCan publications directly, grounding LLM outputs in authoritative source content rather than general web data. AI use is disclosed to users. The system is currently in development, suggesting ongoing review before broader deployment.