According to Google, generative AI has the potential to boost Canada’s economy by $230 billion. Small wonder that it’s being embraced by Canadian businesses.
According to a new survey commissioned by Google Canada, 80% of early adopter decision-makers believe AI will make Canadian businesses more productive and could save the average Canadian worker over 175 hours a year. Putting that economic boost into perspective, Google says the impact could be greater than the entire personal computer or internet revolutions.
The majority of Canadian adults (59%) are optimistic about the impact technology will have in the next twenty years, rising to 69% of those under the age of 35.
The research found that around a quarter of Canadian small and medium businesses (27%) are already making use of AI and machine learning, while that number rises to nearly two thirds (65%) of larger businesses. Over half of AI users (53%) say they had already found ways to use AI. Half of SMB leaders (50%) use, or plan to use, AI to save time, 46% to save money, 43% to grow their business, and 55% use it to work more efficiently.
The businesses surveyed believe AI will also create new opportunities for Canadian workers. More than six in ten Canadian workers (63%) are interested in building AI skills. That number rises to seven in ten among young Canadians (72%). Many are already using AI at work. One in five (21%) say they already use AI to help them at their job. That increases to almost a third (29%) of younger Canadians.
Canadian businesses and individuals already recognize the opportunity AI presents, with nearly three quarters (74%) of Canadians who already use or plan to use AI at their job saying it will help them become more productive.
Canadians want to further their knowledge of AI but say the skills training needs to be focused on practical uses of the technology with 43% of Canadians saying they want advice on how they can use AI tools for their job specifically. More than a third (36%) want to learn how to use AI to automate repetitive tasks in general.
Google commissioned Public First to anonymously survey 4,086 Canadian adults online between June 17 and June 29 this year. In addition, 1,156 senior business decision makers were surveyed between June 17 and July 2. Responses are weighted by province and business size (number of employees) to nationally representative proportions (business count). New economic modeling was used to quantify the economic and social impact of Google for Canada’s individuals, families and businesses.
