Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA)
Canada’s Algorithmic Impact Assessment is a mandatory questionnaire tool that federal government institutions must complete to measure the impact of an automated decision system, under the Treasury Board’s Directive on Automated Decision-Making.
The AIA is a federal-government instrument, not a general private-sector obligation. It supports the Treasury Board's Directive on Automated Decision-Making, which applies to automated decision systems used by federal departments to deliver services.
Completing the online questionnaire produces an impact level (I–IV) that determines the safeguards required — peer review, notice to affected individuals, human-in-the-loop, explanation, and recourse. Higher impact levels trigger stronger requirements.
It is a useful model even outside government, but private companies are governed by privacy law and (for EU exposure) the EU AI Act rather than the AIA. See Canada.ca and the open-source AIA tool for details.
