Canadian Attitudes to AI Use

By George Waggott, founder, and Roberto Fonseca-Velazquez, law student,

George Waggott Law

Canada is at risk of losing its edge as a world leader in artificial intelligence (AI). According to a recent global study for KPMG (the “Trust, attitudes and use” report), data shows that Canadians face growing uncertainty about AI, with a gap in public understanding about how AI tools might be used.

The KPMG survey results show that Canada is among the least AI-literate nations in the world: Canada is ranked a lowly 44^th out of 47 countries. These results indicate that many Canadians express limited substantive or practical knowledge about AI, and lack confidence in their ability to effectively use AI tools.

The sobering results from the KPMG report also show that Canadians report low levels of trust in AI tools. Indeed, Canada ranks as the sixth-lowest country in terms of willingness of employee respondents to rely upon the information generated by AI.

There is at least some encouragement from the Canadian survey results: there is a clear set of requests from Canadians about what they want AI tools to do. In particular, the specific requests are for: 1) better education, 2) stronger oversight, and 3) trustworthy institutions to provide guidance. When taken together, this reinforces the importance that industry and government step up with smart regulation and clear standards.

The KPMG report reflects some level of cautious optimism among Canadian workplaces. While employees remain open to the enormous potential which AI has to offer (about 50% approve of its use), a large number (79%) are concerned about possible negative outcomes. These results confirm the importance to organizations of taking proactive steps to develop transparent approaches to the use of AI tools, in part to foster trust.

The concerns about AI use reported by Canadians include cybersecurity risks and the loss of individual privacy. A large number of respondents also noted their concerns about the loss of human connection, and the potential spread of misinformation.

The KPMG results provide a clear message: Canadians want government oversight in order to make sure that AI tools are developed and used responsibility. A large majority (75%) say that effective regulation is necessary, with the expectation that government and business groups work together to establish acceptable, globally-aligned standards.

Canadians are not rejecting AI and its adoption – despite their concerns, more than 70% believe that AI tools will result in positive outcomes. Instead, the consensus among Canadians as reported by KPMG is that people want regulation and associated protections to make sure that the risks associated with AI are mitigated.

For more information about George Waggott Law, please see: www.georgewaggott.com, or contact: george@georgewaggott.com