With over 300 AI projects in use among the federal government alone, AI-enabled biometric document and identity verification is changing the way users interact with financial platforms and online tax portals.
Oliu partners to support Canadian financial institutions
ATB Ventures announced a partnership between its identity verification platform Oliu and thirdstream‘s fintech onboarding platform. thirdstream will now offer Oliu’s verification to its service providers throughout Canada, starting with residents of the province Alberta.
thirdstream’s platform includes identity verification, account funding, business and credit card onboarding, and unsecured retail lending.
With Oliu, thirdstream clients can now verify their identities by logging into their Alberta.ca accounts. Other provincial government services are expected to follow.
CRA introduces document verification service
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is introducing the document verification service this tax season. Users can quickly validate their identity and get access to their online account by using an identity document. This new option is also available for business accounts and representatives.
It currently takes up to 10 business days to receive a CRA security code in the mail. This new service eliminates this wait, though individuals can elect to get their code via mail if they prefer.
Users must be 16 years of age or older and must have a phone with a camera. The only identity documents currently accepted are Canadian passports, Canadian driver’s licenses, and provincial/territorial ID cards.
The user must submit their social insurance number, date of birth, and their most recently assessed tax return from the current or previous year.
Hundreds of active AI projects, more public debate needed
Canada’s government has used AI in over 300 projects and initiatives, including criminal investigations and temporary visa application sorting, according to research from Joanna Redden, associate professor at Western University in London, Ont.
Redden compiled a database of 303 AI tools into a register and found 95 percent were used by federal agencies. “There needs to be far more public debate about what kinds of systems should be in use, and there needs to be more public information available about how these systems are being used,” Redden said in an interview with CBC.
“Face matching” facial recognition is being used by Royal Canadian Mounted Police to identify child sexual assault material and help in rescuing victims.
Facial recognition is also being used on a voluntary basis to authenticate the identities of incoming travelers by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) at some airports.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced that two pilot projects that use AI to assist in the sorting of temporary resident visa applications have become permanent.
Article: AI, document and identity verification continues to transform Canada