As AI tools become more accessible, the N.W.T. gov't works to develop policy on their use

Jocelyn Shepel · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 10, 2025 9:10 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

The N.W.T. authorities is moving to develop a argumentation for its usage of artificial quality tools, with immoderate archetypal guidelines expected astatine the extremity of this month.

The question of however AI should beryllium utilized is 1 that governments, businesses and organizations each implicit are grappling with arsenic the exertion becomes much accessible — in particular, generative AI tools similar ChatGPT which tin make caller text, images, and different media. 

Currently, N.W.T. authorities workers are directed to travel the national government's guide on the usage of AI erstwhile utilizing specified tools in the workplace. The territory is present moving to make its ain policy.  

A connection from the N.W.T. section of concern says that the territorial authorities sees imaginable for AI applications to beryllium utilized successful "administrative process automation, information analysis, and bundle development," but besides notes that cautious quality oversight volition beryllium required when utilizing AI tools for anything involving sensitive idiosyncratic information, captious infrastructure, and important argumentation decisions. 

AI usage volition besides beryllium taxable to the territory's accusation absorption policies, the authorities says.

Whether certain AI applications will beryllium approved for usage by the territorial authorities is unclear. The N.W.T. authorities says it has not yet established a ceremonial database of approved AI suppliers, and the work to measure suppliers that conscionable information and privateness standards is ongoing.

AI and N.W.T. lawyers 

Meanwhile, the territory's ineligible nine is besides looking astatine however to efficaciously and responsibly usage the technology. 

In January, the Law Society of the Northwest Territories issued its ain guidelines for the usage of AI by N.W.T. lawyers. It includes an overview of antithetic AI models that are designed for the ineligible assemblage to usage for drafting and reviewing documents.

The guidelines enactment that transparency with clients is key, on with probe into antithetic applications. The instrumentality nine besides notes that checking generated contented for immoderate bias is crucial.

"This requires thoroughly reviewing and refining immoderate outputs to region biased connection oregon inaccuracies, arsenic unchecked usage of AI-generated contented could inadvertently pb to harmful outcomes," the guidelines read.

In a statement, the N.W.T. Department of Justice said that the territory's tribunal services presently "do not person immoderate policies, guidelines oregon directives, that code the usage of AI."

Earlier this year the Northwest Territories Law Foundation, which collects the involvement from lawyers' spot accounts and past distributes that wealth backmost to the nationalist done assorted law-related initiatives, gave immoderate wealth to CanLII to incorporated AI-generated summaries of N.W.T. cases and laws. CanLII (Canadian Legal Information Institute) is a public-domain online database of Canadian court decisions, laws, and legislative documents.   

"The CanLII grant was made connected the ground of ineligible education, to effort and marque instrumentality much accessible to members of the nationalist who mightiness not person a ineligible education," said Morgan Fane, manager of the N.W.T. Law Foundation.

Fane, a Crown prosecutor, says helium doesn't usage AI tools in his ain nonrecreational practice. He besides says that helium thinks astir lawyers would similar to bash their research without utilizing AI.

Creating a 'better nationalist service'

Adegboyega Ojo, the Canada Research Chair successful Governance and Artificial Intelligence, says close present governments are looking to found spot with the nationalist erstwhile it comes to the ethical usage of the technology. 

He would similar to spot territorial and provincial governments working alongside probe institutes and universities to find how AI could beryllium utilized to tackle regional priorities. 

"They request a spouse that could assistance them understand, navigate that journey… I deliberation it's captious successful presumption of, if you're going to spot immoderate meaningful improvement here," said Ojo.

Ojo said he thinks AI tin beryllium utilized to summation ratio wrong the nationalist service, without cutting jobs.

"Hopefully that creates a amended nationalist work fundamentally alternatively than conscionable a smaller government."

Ojo said that determining which AI applications are champion to usage tin beryllium complicated, but that it boils down to transparency. For example, helium pointed to companies that provide model cards, which supply item about what information an exertion was trained on, arsenic good arsenic different ethical considerations and key information.

Ojo said impartial evaluations by probe groups and non-profits is different important measurement to holding AI companies accountable.

Businesses and AI

Some N.W.T. businesses are besides looking for ways to incorporated AI into their work, though they whitethorn beryllium comparatively fewer successful fig for now. 

A 2025 Statistics Canada concern survey recovered that around 12 N.W.T. businesses retired of 146 respondents plan to follow bundle utilizing artificial quality in the adjacent 12 months.

Natsai Musarurwa is simply a advisor successful Yellowknife, and she's already utilizing AI successful her regular work. She specializes successful creating concern plans, bookkeeping and strategical management. 

"There was a clip that I would not person touched probe with AI with a 10-foot rod — but present I can," said Musarurwa.

Musarurwa said her position connected AI has changed implicit the past twelvemonth arsenic the exertion has seen important advancements. 

There are AI models for lawyers that tin draught up opening statements, others that let radical with small to nary acquisition successful coding to physique apps, and immoderate that specialize successful producing selling slogans. 

"It utilized to instrumentality maine 40 hours to bash a concern plan, and I tin get a concern program done present successful a day," Musarurwa said.