Using artificial intelligence for translation purposes
Read the Translation Bureau’s advice on using artificial intelligence for translation purposes, and learn more about its GCtranslate tool.
On this page
- When to use artificial intelligence for translation
- GCtranslate, the Translation Bureau’s artificial intelligence prototype
- GCtranslate
When to use artificial intelligence for translation
Before you use artificial intelligence (AI) to translate any text, keep in mind that artificial intelligence tools make mistakes. Consider the impacts that translation errors could have. For example, translation errors could:
- endanger someone’s health or safety
- cause reputational harm to yourself or your organization
- misinform or mislead the reader
- result in complaints or legal action
- violate someone’s language rights
- put your Deputy Head at risk for not fulfilling their official languages obligations under the Official Languages Act
When using AI for translation, limit the impact of potential errors by:
- asking a professional translator to review your artificial intelligence translation
- asking a professional translator to translate the whole text from start to finish
Don’t use online AI tools to translate confidential information. Many of the tools available on the Internet store data on servers outside of Canada, and this may put sensitive information at risk.
GCtranslate, the Translation Bureau’s artificial intelligence tool
The Translation Bureau is proud to support both GCtranslate, an AI-powered translation tool, and GClingua, our portal for requesting professional translation services.
GCtranslate is an artificial intelligence tool that is trained using Canadian data managed by the Translation Bureau to translate Government of Canada texts from English into French and vice versa. It’s available only on the Government of Canada network.
GCtranslate was developed in response to the Artificial Intelligence Strategy for the Federal Public Service 2025–2027. The strategy calls for the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence to achieve a more innovative and efficient workplace within the Government of Canada.
GCtranslate:
- uses the Government of Canada’s terminology and takes into account Canada’s cultural and linguistic realities
- operates within a secure, Protected B cloud environment managed by the Government of Canada
- provides instant translations for routine texts, allowing human translators to focus on complex or high-stakes content
- saves departments the cost and effort required to buy or develop and maintain their own translation tools
GCtranslate
The GCtranslate tool is gradually being rolled out across the federal government.
Employees can use the button below to access GCtranslate (available on the Government of Canada network only).