AI use rising in Canada despite ‘deep-rooted fears’, poll suggests

Despite worries artificial intelligence lacks empathy and could be coming to steal their jobs, a growing number of Canadians are turning to AI tools, a new poll suggests.

Despite worries artificial intelligence lacks empathy and could be coming to steal their jobs, a growing number of Canadians are turning to AI tools, a new poll suggests.

Thirty per cent of Canadians now use artificial intelligence tools, the Leger poll suggested, up from 25 per cent a year ago, though two-thirds of respondents said the prospect of having them in their lives is scary.

The poll of 1,614 Canadians shows a distinct divide between how younger and older people view AI — 58 per cent of those 18 to 34 reported using AI tools, compared to just 13 per cent of those 55 and older.

Christian Bourque, executive vice-president of Leger, said the number of people who have been exposed to or interacted with AI is probably higher than reported, because some individuals may not be aware they’re using it. A website might have a chatbot introduce themselves as Dave, for example — and the user may not realize Dave isn’t a real person.

Respondents aged 18 to 34 were more familiar with the concept of chatbots, or automated chat assistants on websites, with 64 per cent reporting familiarity compared to 38 per cent for those older than 55. The poll does not have a margin of error because online polls aren’t considered truly random samples.

Those who have used AI services or tools generally had a good experience with them, with 71 per cent rating them as good or excellent.

But Canadians, in general, appear to have mixed feelings, with 31 per cent of respondents taking the position they’re good for society and 32 per cent that they’re bad for society. Where respondents stood on the issue varied with age; 42 per cent of younger respondents thought AI tools were good for society, compared to only 23 per cent of older Canadians.

Some of the common worries are privacy and concerns that society is going to become too dependent on AI, which 81 per cent of those polled agreed with. Three-quarters said AI tools lack the emotion and empathy required to make good decisions and threaten human jobs.