Digital responsibility
GC Digital Competencies: Digital responsibility
Use digital tools safely and ethically.
How you can demonstrate digital responsibility
You can demonstrate digital responsibility through specific actions that reflect ethical, transparent and accountable behaviour while fostering a safe and sustainable digital work environment. Examples of how to demonstrate digital responsibility include the following:
- autonomy: use generative AI to assist your work while maintaining accountability for outputs and impacts
- accountability: meet commitments and acknowledge the consequences of your actions
- transparency: share information openly to ensure access to information
- integrity: align actions with public sector values and ethics to build trust
- ethical reasoning: evaluate digital actions to ensure responsible conduct
- safety: follow laws and policies to ensure safe digital practices
- supporting others: share strategies and lessons to improve collective competency
- maintaining safe environments: build respectful online relationships for constructive interactions
- service orientation: focus on meeting user and organizational needs through effective tools
- sustainability: manage digital tools and practices to reduce waste and energy use
If you are a leader, you can:
- support clear oversight and regular reviews of automated or AI‑enabled systems so they remain ethical, fair, effective and aligned with organizational priorities
- exercise proportionate, risk-based decision-making that balances modernization with protecting people, data, the environment and organizational integrity
- promote transparent impact assessments and risk reviews to support responsible, evidence-informed technology investments
- integrate ethical, equity and long-term sustainability considerations into planning, approvals and procurement decisions
- use procurement criteria that advance accessibility, ethical AI, sustainability, and opportunities for Indigenous‑owned or diverse suppliers
- prioritize architecture and procurement choices that protect long-term autonomy, reduce vendor lock-in risks, and support sustainable life-cycle management
How you can help
This is a work in progress, and we will continue to improve it based on your feedback.
Share your thoughts and suggestions by email at icommunity-icollectivite@tbs-sct.gc.ca.