Ottawa taps Cohere to work on use of AI in public service
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/08/2025 (419 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OTTAWA – The federal government has signed an agreement with a Canadian artificial intelligence company to identify areas where AI can enhance public service operations.
It will see Cohere look at how its products can improve federal public services, said Sofia Ouslis, a spokesperson for Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon.
The agreement sets up “early-stage collaboration” between the federal government and the Toronto-based tech company, she said. Cohere develops large language models, a type of generative AI focused on language, and the company specializes in AI services for businesses.
“The focus is on identifying where Cohere’s Canadian-built AI tools can improve public services, making them faster, smarter, and more secure. While there are no formal deadlines attached, the government sees this as a priority and is moving quickly to explore real-world applications,” Ouslis said.
Ouslis said the agreement does not include a “financial component.”
Cohere said in a blog post Tuesday it signed the agreement “to transform the public sector with our secure, sovereign AI technology.”
“Accelerating AI adoption will deliver massive productivity and efficiency gains to enhance public services and modernize operations,” it said.
A government press release also said the agreement with Cohere involves looking at building Canada’s commercial capabilities to use and export AI, but did not provide details about that effort will involve.
Using artificial intelligence to increase efficiency in the public service was one of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s election promises. Carney also promised to cap the size of the public service, and most departments and agencies have since been asked to find program spending cuts of up to 15 per cent.
The government press release said AI “has the potential to significantly improve government operations and services for Canadians,” and that Ottawa is “seeking to harness the power of this transformative technology while building a vibrant made-in-Canada technology sector.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2025.
