OTTAWA — The federal government has signed an agreement with a Canadian artificial intelligence company to identify areas where AI can enhance public service operations.
The agreement with Cohere also involves looking at building Canada’s commercial capabilities to use and export AI, but there are few details about what exactly Cohere will do.
Cohere is a Toronto-based tech company which develops large language models, a type of generative AI focused on language. The company focuses on AI services for businesses.
The company 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 spokesperson for Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon did not respond to questions asking what the work will involve, and a spokesperson for Cohere declined to provide any details.
The government spokesperson did say the agreement does not include a "financial component."
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.
Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press
