Ottawa spent more than $800M on AI contracts over 3 years, data shows

Ottawa has spent more than $800 million on artificial intelligence technology since 2023, according to data provided by the federal government.

The sum includes two previously announced deals: a $350 million public service contract with Dayforce to replace the troubled Phoenix pay system and a $240 million investment in the AI company Cohere.

It also includes hundreds of entries that range from a few hundred dollars for a ChatGPT subscription to multimillion-dollar contracts with various companies.

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Conservative MP Jagsharan Singh Mahal had asked all government departments, agencies and Crown corporations to provide information about AI-related contracts, subscriptions and licences, but not all complied with the request.

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Because of the Dayforce and Cohere agreements, Public Services and Procurement Canada and Innovation Canada were the top spending departments, followed by National Defence at $83.7 million and the Canada Revenue Agency at $29.9 million.

The Communications Security Establishment and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service declined to provide the requested information, while the RCMP said it did not have the information available in a centralized database.