Quebec Schools Turn to AI to “Analyze Risks” to Students

“The Artificial Intelligence will be deployed starting in September, and in the large majority of school systems in Quebec by 2025. By feeding the AI large quantities of the children’s personal data — such as gender, age, disabilities, language, parent’s education, absences — the government aims to analyse the future risks to these children.”

These statements appear in the Quebec government’s official release to parents of children in the Centre de services scolaire des Mille-Îles (CSSMI). 

Parents feel blindsided by the sudden notice that their children’s private information will be fed into AI, with no option for consent. They are questioning whether this technology is ethical.

“Yes, (this is ethical,)” the Ministry of Education wrote, in an email to The Rover. “And no, (they can’t opt out), the CSS is only obliged to inform them of the information being used. Remember that the objective is to help assess the risks the child will face in the future.”

One parent, who spoke to The Rover, questioned the ethics of using children, through an essential government service, to help private foreign-owned companies do research and development. 

“This allows tech companies to take over the means of communication and the means of governance,” said Nathan, a parent with a child in the CSSMI. “(Google) has access to all of my child’s education, and they’re using that information to train (Gemini), their own AI.” 

He said that he’s concerned about Google’s pervasive role in Quebec’s education system, from Chromebooks to Google Classroom. MILA, the developer of the AI being used for this program, has a partnership with Google. Based at the University of Montreal, MILA describes itself as “dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence for the benefit of all.” While MILA helped develop the technology, it is no longer involved in the project and has not been for some time. 

“I wrote to them informing them I don’t consent to our data being used,” Nathan said. There is no option to opt out.

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“The people in charge of this are civil servants — they don’t understand (how AI works, practically speaking),” a source close to the policymakers told The Rover on condition of anonymity. “They don’t know how this data could be used (maliciously). But if parents can opt out, it will compromise the data. That’s how machines learn.” 

The government has committed $100 million over five years to invest in AI, and another $13 million into this project specifically. Simultaneously, it is cutting $200 million from education, causing schools to suffer, and having immediate consequences for students.

The AI program had been approved by the government in 2018, and actively developed since 2022, the Ministry of Education confirmed with The Rover. Our research found no public announcements about the initiative, which has largely bypassed public discussion.

The AI program is intended to improve harm reduction programs in Quebec’s education system.  The potential to use AI to predict and prevent developmental disorders and help children succeed in school is an attractive proposition for a government grappling with the lowest graduation rates compared to other Canadian provinces. Proponents argue that AI may reduce biases in diagnosing children, as it has already outperformed doctors in diagnosing certain illnesses. 

Yet AI remains a divisive issue globally. While it promises efficiency and innovation, its drawbacks are significant — ranging from appropriating public art to contributing to climate change. 

The CAQ government has left Quebec’s public services ill-prepared to handle increased stress by implementing the largest tax cuts in the province’s history, which have continuously proven to only benefit the wealthy while crippling institutions. Guillaume Hébert from the Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques called this the “austerity cycle,” which recently resulted in controversy around Quebec’s Francisation program in December. On Jan. 26, Legault rebutted the accusations of austerity, saying that he is simply respecting the province’s budget. 

Haroun Bouazzi, Québec solidaire’s spokesperson for digital affairs, raised concerns: “We don’t have enough teachers, and schools are closing across the province,” he said. “The CAQ’s priorities are problematic. The use of this data could result in dangerous conclusions by the AI, resulting in worsening situations for children… In order to make a decision like this, we need a public forum for discussion.” 

The servers possessing all this data are located in Canada,”the Ministry said. A server is the brain of any data centre, and this one would hold anywhere between 100-240 Terabytes of information in it. Microsoft, Google and especially Amazon own roughly 50 per cent of all servers globally. GRICS and the Ministry confirmed that there is no involvement from any American companies with the servers holding children’s information. However, because so many servers are American owned globally, it is highly likely that this information will at least interface with Amazon, Google, or Microsoft servers at some point. 

“Access to the data is strictly regulated. Only those approved by the CSS can access the data, and will only be used within and for the school system.” The Ministry said.

In August 2023, Meta blocked access to Canadian news on its platform. The government did little in response, raising concerns about whether it has the will — or the power — to resist corporate dominance. A data breach of these servers could prove to be catastrophic, especially since this information pertains to minors. In 2024, important institutions such as the Canada Revenue Agency had massive data breaches. More than 2.9 billion people had their information exposed last year due to data breaches. “This is an egregious use of children’s information.” Nathan said, ruminating on the growing influence of tech companies on personal freedom. 

“This (AI) solution modernizes existing practices… it remains a decision-support tool, where the critical judgment of professionals within the network continues to be the primary driver of interventions,” The Ministry said. “It enables earlier identification of students exhibiting risk factors for school dropout, allowing concerned parties to intervene proactively.”