Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools Growing in Canada Despite Lingering Mixed Emotions

A recent Ledger poll has cited a 25 percent increase in Canada’s use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools. The poll surveyed 1,614 Canadians on their attitudes towards and their use of AI, finding that overall use is on the rise, despite common fears that AI tools lack empathy (75%) and/or are susceptible to fraud or hacking (72%). 

Findings suggested that 30 percent of Canadians now use AI tools, yet, the final number is likely much higher considering that many individuals are often unaware that they are using AI. The results indicate that 36 percent of Canadians agree that AI tools are “good for society” in contrast to only 25 percent opting for the label “bad for society”. These figures are interesting given that two-thirds of respondents admitted that the prospect of having AI in their lives is scary. Commonly cited concerns among 81 percent of those polled were privacy and increased dependence upon AI. Above all, more respondents trust AI to perform less personal tasks such as thermostat or music adjustments whereas fewer reported trusting AI enough to use the facial recognition and/or biometrics services.

While levels of trust for different AI driven services (i.e. car transport, social media posting, matchmaking) varied depending on the demographics asked, of those who had interacted with AI services or tools, 71 percent rated the experience as good or excellent. Overall, a growing consumer base in the Canadian market is a promising finding for AI-focused companies.