TORONTO — Ontario should adopt “effective safeguards” for the public sector’s use of artificial intelligence technologies, the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner said Thursday. The Province and the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

The government urgently needs to develop “robust” rules so that it can use AI technologies in an ethical way, the statement by the two bodies said.

“AI technologies have great potential to help society in terms of improved health, education, public safety, and social and economic well-being,” they wrote.

“However, they have also been shown to be insecure unless effectively governed.”

A spokesman for the Department of Public and Business Services said the government is developing a trustworthy AI framework “that will ensure transparent and responsible use of AI across the public sector”.

This framework states that the government is committed to being transparent at all times, disclosing when, why and how AI algorithms are used, complying with the rules governing the safe use of those algorithms, and protecting the rights of Ontario residents.

The Commission on Human Rights and the Commissioner for Data Protection welcome the bases proposed in this 2021 framework, but are “urgent for the government to establish a binding set of robust and detailed rules for the public sector’s use of AI technologies”.

The two organizations say artificial intelligence technologies have great potential to benefit society, but can be dangerous if improperly managed and collect personal data illegally.

Even with anonymized information, AI technologies can perpetuate bias and negatively impact marginalized individuals or groups, they write in the statement.

Additionally, they argue that some AI systems can create flawed or inaccurate content, raising liability concerns.