Item - 2025.HL27.5

The Board of Health:  

1. Requested the Medical Officer of Health to explore options for uses of artificial intelligence tools at Toronto Public Health, that is in accordance with City policies, legislative requirements and industry best practices, and report back to the Board of Health in the first quarter of 2027 with an update on this work.

In July 2025, the City of Toronto took its first steps to embrace and adopt artificial intelligence (AI) by releasing the Guidance for the Responsible Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI Guidance) to City staff. In response to the Board of Health's June 2025 request to review the guidelines, TPH has reviewed and confirmed that the Generative Artificial Intelligence Guidance is aligned with best practices from the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa), Province of Ontario, and the Government of Canada.

The City has adopted and enabled Microsoft (MS) Chat, the first generative artificial intelligence tool officially endorsed for City-wide use.  Toronto Public Health staff are engaged in training on City policies, legislative requirements (e.g. PHIPA) and industry best practices including specific privacy and personal health information policies and legislation.

This report also explores the broader opportunities for the use of artificial intelligence at Toronto Public Health while maintaining high standards of privacy, security, and ethics. With proper risk mitigation, artificial intelligence tools could help Toronto Public Health optimize resources and better meet its mandate.

In addition to issuing the Generative Artificial Intelligence Guidance, the City of Toronto has a governance framework in place that considers privacy, security, and ethics. The framework guides adoption of artificial intelligence tools in accordance with City policies, legislative requirements and industry best practices.

Toronto Public Health is investigating three pilot projects that use artificial intelligence tools, outside of Microsoft Chat, that could support the work of Toronto Public Health. Toronto Public Health will form an internal artificial intelligence working group in fall 2025 and work closely with Technology Services Division (TSD) and the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to continue to address risk while advancing innovative opportunities for service delivery. Technology Services Division and Chief Information Security Officer were consulted in the preparation of this report.