From Gen Z to affluent Canadians, a look at who’s using gen AI tools

Use of generative AI tools also skews higher among well-educated Gen Zs who are heavy internet users.

Artificial Intelligence has been hailed as a game changer, on par with the internet itself, and Canadians are starting to get curious. That’s according to MTM’s latest report, which looks at the use of generative AI tools among online Canadians. The research found that 22% of online Canadians have used generative AI tools, with 20% using ChatGPT. The closest competitor is Microsoft Co-Pilot at just 6%.

Looking at gen AI use by region, those living in Northern Canada are the heaviest users (31%), followed by BC (28%), Manitoba/Saskatchewan (24%), Ontario (23%), Quebec (20%) and Atlantic Canada (17%).

Some Canadian adults are more likely to use generative AI tools than others. Use is notably higher among Gen Zs aged 18 to 26 (38%) and students (38%). This includes affluent adults reporting household incomes exceeding $200,000 (35%), those born outside of Canada (38%) and racialized Canadians (36%). Usage also skews higher among users of most social networks. Use is lower among those who are older, living in smaller communities or have only attained a high school level of education.

One of the first to market, ChatGPT, has a substantial lead on many of its competitors but there is still potential for the popularity to shift. Microsoft Co-Pilot will increasingly be integrated into Windows and Microsoft Office, leading to substantial increases in use. The same can be said for Google Gemini across Google products, as well as Apple Intelligence for Apple products, which will launch next year in Canada.

Use of ChatGPT has declined slightly since last fall – from 23% to 20% of online Canadian adults. That said, ChatGPT is used by 89% of gen AI tool users. Co-Pilot is used by 28% of gen AI users and Gemini by 17%. Younger Canadians have been the fastest to embrace generative AI and use declines with each successive age cohort: Gen Z (38%), Millenials (31%), Gen X (21%) and younger Boomers aged 59 to 64 (14%). Older generations are also engaging with generative AI tools: older Boomers 65 to 78 (4%) and seniors 79-plus (5%).

Those with post-secondary levels of education are more likely than those without to use generative AI tools: university 24%, college or occupational training 24%, and high school or less 16%. Higher use of gen AI tools is seen among racialized Canadians (36%) and those born outside of Canada (38%). Males and anglophones are more likely to be using ChatGPT. There is a notable gap between men (28%) and women (17%) in terms of their use of these tools. Usage is also slightly lower among francophones (19% versus 23% of anglophones), which could be because current tools are limited to English language text prompts and interfaces.

Heavy internet users are some of the biggest users of generative AI tools with 34% usage among those who spend more than 30 hours online each week, followed by medium internet users (10 to 30 hours a week) at 19%, and 12% of light users (less than 10 hours a week).

Generative AI has found far more success among users of some social media platforms than others. Almost half of Reddit users (45%) are diving in. Demographically, they closely align with other groups who show more interest in generative AI, like Gen Zs and males. The platform also hosts several subreddit message boards dedicated to discussions surrounding AI. LinkedIn users (43%) might be relying on gen AI tools for job searches. Several platforms have generative AI tools available to their user, including X, Facebook and Instagram. Those who use AI tools but not ChatGPT are more likely to use Meta or Snap’s AI tools. More than half are also tapping into Microsoft Co-Pilot for their generative AI tool needs.

The survey is based on over 12,000 telephone interviews annually with Canadians 18 years and older (including a cell-phone only sample and a follow up online survey) from across all of the provinces and Territories.

In order to ensure measurable sample sizes in the North and among Indigenous Peoples, an online booster sample has also been included. The MTM’s blended sampling approach ensures that this survey has a representative sample that can reach 99% of the population.