Terms of Reference of the Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence

From: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

1. Objective and Mandate

  1. The objective of the Government of Canada Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence (the Advisory Council) is to enable the Government to seek timely and relevant advice from experts in industry, civil society, and academia on key issues and developments in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in order to inform the Government's work to support the responsible development and adoption of AI for the social and economic benefit of all Canadians.
  2. The mandate of the Advisory Council is to advise the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and the Government of Canada on key issues in AI, including:
    1. The state of the AI ecosystem in Canada and barriers or opportunities for adoption of AI in Canada;
    2. Developments and advancements with respect to AI technologies and their implications for Canada and Canadians, including investments in computational infrastructure;
    3. Developments in AI research, including in the field of AI safety;
    4. Developments and best practices with respect to AI governance, including standards;
    5. Considerations related to deployment of AI technologies in the public sector;
    6. Broader societal issues related to AI, such as with regard to labour markets, culture, democracy, and national security;
    7. International developments with respect to AI and their relevance to Canada; and
    8. Any other matters of relevance to Government policy on AI as needed.
  3. Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), in consultation with the Advisory Council, may establish additional Working Group(s) associated with the Council to help advance specific areas of the Council's mandate.
  4. In carrying out its mandate, the Advisory Council may occasionally be asked to provide or contribute to reports or discussion papers. Such products will be approved by the Advisory Council and by ISED prior to publication.

2. Membership

a. Composition and Tenure

  1. The Advisory Council will be composed of leading experts in Canada on AI and relevant fields, and will represent a diversity of regions, perspectives and experience, including members from Canadian industry, civil society, and academia.
  2. The Advisory Council membership will be composed of individual members who will serve in a voluntary and personal capacity, and ex officio members who will serve by virtue of their professional role.
  3. Members will be appointed by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
  4. ISED may invite other individuals with particular expertise or representatives from other government departments or external organizations to attend meetings for specific topics or agenda items.
  5. Individual members will be appointed for a term of two (2) years, with the possibility of renewal for a further two-year term.
  6. Ex officio members may serve for the duration of their tenure within their professional role.

b. Conflict of interest

  1. Individual members of the Advisory Council will serve and provide advice exclusively in a personal and voluntary capacity as knowledgeable individuals and in the best interests of Canadians. They may not represent their firms, organizations or professional affiliations, or use their positions for their own gain or that of any other person, company or organization.
  2. Ex officio members of the Advisory Council will serve and provide advice in their professional capacity, as knowledgeable individuals, and in the best interests of Canadians. They may represent the perspective and opinions of their organization but may not use their position for their own or their organization's gain, or that of any other person, company or organization.
  3. All members are required to avoid real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest, and are expected to recuse themselves on issues where necessary. A member's recusal from a discussion will be recorded in the meeting minutes.

3. Roles and responsibilities

  1. The co-chairs of the Advisory Council will be selected from the Advisory Council membership and appointed by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. Co-chairs are expected to:
    1. Liaise between the members and ISED to establish and maintain a healthy environment for deliberation, dialogue and decision-making; and
    2. Participate in regular bilateral meetings with the Advisory Council Secretariat or the Deputy Minister in order to share information, coordinate the forward agenda and work of the Advisory Council and its working groups, and provide any other support that may be required to fulfil the Advisory Council's mandate.
  2. ISED will serve as Secretariat to the Advisory Council, and may provide direction on the program of work:
    1. The Secretariat will work with the Advisory Council co-chairs to develop and circulate the agenda and meeting materials, coordinate meeting logistics, coordinate any contractual arrangements, and organize the invitation of guests;
    2. The Secretariat will prepare summaries of meeting discussions that could be published on the Advisory Council web page;
    3. The Secretariat will carry out any other work needed to support the work of the Council, including performing research and preparing draft reports.

4. Frequency of meetings

  1. The Advisory Council will meet four to six times a year or as required in order to respond to emerging policy or operational requirements.
  2. Advisory Council meetings will be held by videoconference.

5. Consultations and stakeholder engagement

The Advisory Council (including its Working Groups) may conduct consultations or engagement processes with external stakeholders from industry, civil society, and academia and with Canadians in order to incorporate broader Canadian perspectives into the work of the Advisory Council.

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