How Canadian agencies are embracing AI tools to defend national security

People put away silicon wafers that were on display during an Intel event called AI Everywhere in New York, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

OTTAWA — The national spy watchdog is reviewing the use and governance of artificial intelligence by Canada’s security agencies.

The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency has written to key federal ministers and organizations to inform them of the study.

Here’s a look at how some federal organizations are putting AI tools to work to support national security, intelligence and risk assessment operations.

Canadian Security Intelligence Service

CSIS works to protect Canada from espionage, terrorism and foreign interference. The spy service will initiate a pilot project early this year to assess AI tools for use in the transcription of audio content, translation of materials and examination of documents to assist analysts, said spokesman Eric Balsam.

CSIS will also test a chatbot-style tool to help write, edit and summarize documents.

The outputs of AI systems are always subject to human review to ensure accuracy and appropriateness, Balsam said.

AI technologies being considered by CSIS undergo an algorithmic impact assessment to gauge risk and manage possible negative effects. The spy agency also seeks guidance from the Justice Department on legal considerations affecting proposed use of AI, Balsam said.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

A 2024 RCMP report on operational technologies said the force employed face-matching, a function built into certain software applications used to process, sort and analyze large volumes of images and videos.

“The RCMP uses this technology only for processing evidence that has been lawfully obtained in the course of an investigation,” the report said.

While AI offers the potential for efficient and innovative data processing and analysis in the policing and national security contexts, it also presents certain challenges, said RCMP spokeswoman Robin Percival.

They include ensuring the legal and ethical collection and use of personal information, preventing potential misuses of information or use of inaccurate information, and preventing data access by unauthorized parties, she said.

The RCMP has established an AI policy and solutions team to develop a framework for the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence tools, Percival said. It will involve the creation of working groups and drafting policies to allow RCMP employees to benefit further from new technologies, she added.

Communications Security Establishment

The CSE, Canada’s cyberspy agency, uses artificial intelligence to help defend federal and critical infrastructure systems from cyberthreats.

The CSE’s artificial intelligence strategy says this involves detecting patterns in vast quantities of data. “Machine learning helps enable the detection of a variety of threats to keep these systems and networks safe,” the strategy says.

The agency, which has long been at the forefront of technical innovation, also uses AI for malware classification.

“Machine learning-enabled malware classification is crucial for CSE because it enables the detection and analysis of sophisticated cyberthreats that standard antivirus solutions may not catch,” the strategy says.

Federal networks are often targeted for attack by foreign adversaries using custom malware, which requires more advanced detection capabilities than off-the-shelf antivirus software can provide, the document adds.

In the coming years, AI capabilities will become more important to the CSE’s efforts to protect Canadians, the strategy says. “Notably, if deployed safely, securely and effectively, these capabilities will improve CSE’s ability to analyze larger amounts of data faster and with more precision.”

Global Affairs Canada

A document search and analysis tool called Document Cracker was developed to help Global Affairs Canada officials quickly find the information they need, according to a federal register of AI projects across the government that was published last year.

“Document Cracker enables users to search across a large volume of documents using a sophisticated indexing platform and automatically monitor new documents for specific topics, emerging trends, and mentions of key people, locations, and organizations,” the register says. “These features allow officials to quickly identify pressing issues, formulate a preferred stance and track the evolving stances of other countries.”

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

The federal passport program uses facial recognition technology to support identity authentication, help detect fraud and prevent passports and travel documents from being issued to ineligible applicants, the federal AI register says.

Transport Canada

The Risk Evaluation and Conflict Tool project is a data-driven initiative led by the department’s Conflict Zone Information Office to improve Canada’s ability to monitor and assess threats to passenger aircraft, the AI register says.

The tool was being developed to streamline the manual and resource-intensive process of open-source media monitoring, data analysis and risk assessment through use of automation and AI technologies, the register says.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2026.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press