The Government of Canada has announced an approved supplier list of companies able to provide the state with artificial intelligence (AI) services and products. Chief information officer Alex Benay said it was a "big day for automation of Government of Canada services and overall modernisation of our institutions." The list of AI vendors, published on January 15, includes large tech companies such as Amazon, McKinsey & Company and Palantir, alongside smaller businesses such as Dessa, which has only been in operation since 2016. The web page announcing the pre-qualified suppliers list said each of the companies selected "met all of the mandatory criteria to provide Canada with responsible and effective AI services, solutions and products." The successful companies were banded into three groups, depending on the size of the contracts they could work on.