Nearly all call for investment in AI, training
and responsible regulation, with government and industry
working together
MISSISSAUGA, ON, March 28,
2024 /CNW/ - The artificial intelligence (AI) boom
across all industries has Canadian employees torn over AI's role in
society: 57 per cent hold hope and see AI as beneficial, while 61
per cent believe it could be a threat. Six in ten Canadians believe
that Canada should invest in AI,
not only to ensure our country is a technology leader but also to
increase the training and upskilling of workers in AI, according to
a new survey commissioned by TECHNATION, Canada's largest technology industry
association.
Nearly two-thirds of Canadians say that the country will lose
talented people to other countries if we don't invest in AI and 42
per cent believe our standard of living depends on how much we
invest in the technology.
But while many respondents believe that there are benefits from
using AI such as better fraud detection (86 per cent)
and improved government services (73 per cent), there is still some
apprehension. Canadians want transparency about when AI is being
used and are uneasy about potential national security risks (95 per
cent and 93 per cent have some concerns about these, respectively).
Interestingly, nine in 10 Canadians expressed some level of unease
around misinformation and "deep fake" videos or images being used
in Canadian elections, which is concerning as Canada could be heading to the polls this year
or next.
TECHNATION's AI Survey of Canadian Employees, which
polled 2,000 Canadian workers about their awareness and perceptions
of AI, revealed that Canadian workers are in the dark when it comes
to AI as 43 per cent say they know very little or nothing about the
topic.
"While AI adoption is surging globally, Canada is experiencing a lag in Industry
adoption. There's a lot of work to do to increase national AI
readiness and Canadians' understanding of and trust in AI," said
Angela Mondou, president and CEO of
TECHNATION. "Canadians want investment in AI and are calling on
government and businesses to work together to ensure workers are
trained and prepared for the future. Canadians also clearly see the
benefits of AI as long as there's responsible (agile)
regulation."
AI can boost productivity,
according to workers
The results clearly show that most Canadian employees view AI as
highly relevant to them personally and to their work. Sixty-nine
per cent of employers felt AI could help their workers take care of
repetitive tasks, which would allow them to focus on work "that
matters" (60 per cent) and increase employee productivity (57 per
cent). While office workers see the greatest potential for AI to
help their employers, two-in-five (42 per cent) of trades and
service industry workers also say that AI could help improve
productivity.
Survey respondents also feel that AI could help them with a
broad range of tasks. The vast majority said they'd be comfortable
using the technology for analyzing and summarizing large amounts of
data and copy (73 and 68 per cent respectively) and assisting in
research (63 per cent). Surprisingly, 55 per cent of Canadian
workers are not comfortable using AI to help them make decisions,
implying that there is distrust in AI and its potential to replace
humans in decision-making processes. Perhaps that's why 87 per cent
of employees have concerns about job loss due to automation from AI
and less than one in five believe that AI will create more jobs
than it eliminates.
Mary Ann Yule, TECHNATION Chair
and HP Canada President and CEO said: "With Canada's economy
comprised of 98 per cent small-medium enterprises (SMEs), our
government must also consider the investment gaps in AI that some
SMEs face and review policy levers to accelerate AI adoption by
employers and industry sectors, enabling them to sufficiently
participate and thrive in this transformational era driven by
AI."
Need to guard against
misinformation and deep fakes
Canadian workers say it's important to regulate financial and
banking applications (61 per cent), the use of deep fake videos (56
per cent) and using facial recognition in public spaces (53 per
cent).
Mondou noted, "The results of the survey align with what the
tech industry knows: with the right level of investment, training
and regulation we can enable Canadian employees while accelerating
the responsible adoption of AI in Canada. We're working closely with industry
leaders and the federal government to preserve Canada's reputation and leadership in how we
develop, regulate, and adopt responsible, ethical AI. Ultimately,
Canada needs a revamped national
AI strategy to reduce national barriers to adoption".
About the Survey
These are findings of a survey conducted by TECHNATION
from January 18-24, 2024 among a representative sample of
2,000 adult Canadian workers. The respondents are members of
Angus Reid Forum. The survey was conducted in English and French.
For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size
would carry a margin of error of +/- 1.9 percentage points, 19
times out of 20.
About the Angus Reid
Forum
The Angus Reid Forum is Canada's most well-known and trusted online
public opinion community consisting of engaged residents across the
country who answer surveys on topical issues that matter to all
Canadians.
About TECHNATION
TECHNATION is the industry-government nexus for technology
prosperity in Canada. As a
member-driven, not-for-profit, TECHNATION unites Canada's technology sector, governments, and
communities to enable technology prosperity in Canada by providing advocacy, professional
development and networking opportunities across industry and
governments at all levels; connecting Canadian scale-ups with
global tech leaders; engaging the global supply chain; and filling
the technology talent pipeline.
TECHNATION has served as the authoritative national voice of the
$242 billion ICT industry for over 60
years. More than 45,000 Canadian ICT firms create and supply goods
and services that contribute to a more productive, competitive, and
innovative society. The ICT sector generates more than 717,590 jobs
and invests $10.3 billion annually in
R&D, more than any other private sector performer. TECHNATION
was formerly the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC). For more
information: www.technationcanada.ca
Click here for additional media assets.
SOURCE TECHNATION