Provincial, federal governments leaning on AI to cut red tape

People walk past an AI sign at the All In artificial intelligence conference, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

OTTAWA — The federal government and several provincial governments are turning to artificial intelligence to analyze laws and search for outdated regulations as they try to cut back on red tape.

Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali and provincial and territorial ministers responsible for red tape reduction met in Toronto on Thursday to discuss ways to cut outdated and overly complicated regulations to reduce costs and improve productivity.

Mohammad Kamal, a spokesperson for Ali’s office, said several provinces are exploring how to use AI to streamline how applications and approvals are handled, review internal processes and improve service delivery.

Kamal said the federal government is using a platform called BizPal, which shows permit and licensing requirements across jurisdictions and uses AI to convert complex legal and regulatory language into plain language summaries.

The Ontario government website says it’s using AI to scan and analyze laws, regulations and forms to find outdated rules.

The federal, provincial and territorial ministers are set to meet again in the fall.

Ali launched a red tape review in early July by asking ministers to review regulations in their portfolios. The minister said a federal Red Tape Reduction Office, under the Treasury Board, would work with stakeholders and regulators.

In September, the federal government said it had found almost 500 ways to streamline regulations and cut costs following the 60-day red tape review exercise.

Examples included a Canada Border Services Agency proposal to end the rule requiring that travellers arriving in Canada on their way to another country be examined by the agency before making their way to their departing flight.

Transport Canada said it was looking to introduce rules for transporting certain low-risk dangerous goods by drone, while the Department of National Defence said it planned to streamline the Canadian Armed Forces grievance system.

Prime Minister Mark Carney promised the red tape review in his election campaign platform.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2026.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press