The number of artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives in Quebec’s public administration has jumped by 54 per cent in less than a year. The health and higher education networks alone account for more than half of the projects.
This is what the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs (MCN) reveals in its most recent overview of the use of AI by public bodies, recently published on its website.
As of last June, there were 258 AI initiatives in the Quebec public service, compared to 168 in October 2024. Just over half of these projects were fully operational, while 45 per cent were under development.
The increased use of this technological tool in public administration “can be explained by several converging factors,” says the MCN.
“AI solutions are now more accessible and better suited to the needs of public bodies, which are increasingly using them to improve the quality of services offered to the public or to automate certain tasks,” the ministry initially stated by email.
He also mentions that this trend is in line with the government’s priorities regarding the modernization of the state and digital transformation.
The strengthening of the guidelines surrounding this technology has also “contributed to increasing the confidence of public bodies, by offering them a clear and secure framework for the development of projects,” the ministry emphasizes.
Last December, the MCN published measures to regulate the use of generative artificial intelligence by public bodies. It also updated principles for the responsible use of AI.
With these guidelines, which notably specify “expectations regarding risk assessment”, public bodies are “more comfortable exploring or deploying AI solutions in their operations”, the ministry argues.
Public organizations are increasingly turning to AI. Last spring, 83 organizations reported having initiatives in this area, compared to 65 eight months earlier. This represents a 30 per cent increase, which, according to the MCN, is largely due to the democratization of AI use.
Health at the top of the list
Approximately one-third of the initiatives (81) focused on planning, prediction, and decision support. This could include assisting with medical diagnoses or identifying students experiencing difficulties, as illustrated by the MCN.
For example, the Ministry of Education has implemented a solution “to predict the risks and factors of dropping out of school from the 6th grade of elementary school to the 5th year of secondary school”.
Another example, at the Ministry of Health and Social Services, was the development of a pilot project to model patient flow in hospitals. Its aim was to reduce the average length of stay in the emergency room and the waiting time before access to a hospital bed.
The second most frequently cited type of AI solution was that of conversational assistants or agents, with 68 initiatives. Other categories included several solutions in automation (36), image processing or medical imaging (27), and geomatics and geospatial management (22).
The health and social services network is among the most active portfolios in AI, accounting for approximately one-third of all reported initiatives, according to the MCN profile. It is followed by higher education with 58 projects deployed across several CEGEPs and universities.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests ranks third with 26 initiatives.
The MCN also reports that 61 AI projects were intended for providing services to citizens.
Expected to multiply
According to the ministry, “everything suggests” that this increase in the use of AI in public administration “will continue over the next year.”
“AI technologies continue to evolve rapidly, while the needs of public bodies continue to grow. As public bodies progress in their level of adoption of these technologies, the context is conducive to the emergence of new initiatives,” he assesses.
The latter reiterates that the framework for the responsible use of AI, being “better established”, “ensures a more structured adoption while ensuring a safe and responsible deployment of AI” by public bodies.
Since the adoption of a ministerial decree in February 2024, public bodies have been required to report annually to the Ministry of National Education (MNE) any artificial intelligence project or initiative. Only initiatives related to cybersecurity are not detailed in the overview published by Quebec.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
