Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute

The Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI) is part of the Government of Canada's plan to support the safe and responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI). Our goal is to advance the science of AI safety, in collaboration with international partners, in order to ensure that governments are well-positioned to understand and act on the risks of advanced AI systems. These include risks posed by synthetic content, including impersonation and fraud, as well as risks posed by the development or deployment of systems that may be dangerous or hinder human oversight. To do that, we are working with experts from government, business, universities, and research organizations.

CAISI is led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), leveraging the research capabilities of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), as well as the broader Canadian research community through the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR).

Our work

CAISI will leverage Canada’s strong AI research community as well as in-house expertise to conduct leading-edge research in collaboration with industry and the International Network of AI Safety Institutes. We study how advanced AI systems work, what are the risks, and provide tools to ensure that the Government of Canada is well-positioned to address AI safety risks as they arise. By working with partners in Canada and around the world, we aim to make sure that AI technology is used safely and that Canadians can trust it, paving the way for responsible adoption of AI and supporting innovation.

CAISI conducts research in two key ways:

Applied and investigator-led research: Through CIFAR, we fund Canadian and international experts to conduct research on critical questions related to AI safety. CIFAR's CAISI Research Program ensures that cutting-edge research informs our understanding of AI risks.
Government-directed Projects: We conduct projects supporting the Government's priorities on AI safety, including joint testing with international counterparts, and provide guidance to AI developers, users, and the public on the risks of advanced AI systems and how to address them.

Canada's global role in AI safety

The formation of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes was announced at the AI Seoul Summit in May 2024, with Canada as a founding member, and its inaugural convening is taking place in November 2024. As a founding member of the Network, CAISI will actively coordinate efforts with international partners and collaborate on joint projects, including the development of guidance on AI safety.

Canada's AI strategy

The Canadian AI Safety Institute supports other measures by the Government of Canada that collectively aim to support responsible AI development and adoption in Canada while protecting Canadians against risks associated with the technology. These include the: