Skip to content
Home > Future of Work > Automation Nation? AI Adoption…

Future of work

A curated resource of recent research on trends shaping Canada's labour market.

Automation Nation? AI Adoption in Canadian Businesses

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE SOURCE
Key Takeaway
Despite being a leader in AI research, Canada is lagging in adopting the technology.

 

This report highlights that, as of 2021, only 3.7% of Canadian businesses had started to adopt AI technology. This adoption rate was lower than that of many other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The report also points out that the adoption rates across firms are inconsistent. Larger firms are more likely to have adopted AI technologies, increasing the risk of disparity between them and smaller operations.

According to the report, Canadian firms that aren’t using AI have said they’re struggling to identify a business need for the technology. However, despite the slow rate of adoption, Canada has been a leader in the research and development of AI.

The report also addresses that there currently isn’t an official regulatory framework to ensure the responsible adoption of AI, only a “voluntary code.” Businesses should expect increased regulation and oversight by the Government of Canada, which has already proposed an Artificial Intelligence and Data Act.

New
2024 | Green, A.
Key Takeaway: AI is changing the skills employers look for in many occupations. The report finds that while most workers won’t need specialized AI skills, there is a growing demand for communication, social, language, and emotional skills in occupations that are highly exposed to AI.
New
2026 | OECD Publishing
Key Takeaway: Rather than eliminating occupations, AI is changing tasks and the types of skills that employers demand. Workers will need foundational, digital, complementary, and specialized skills, supported by accessible education and training.
New
2026 | Trammell, P., & Jones, C. I.
Key Takeaway: Using the value of a statistical life (VSL) as an alternative way to assess changes in living standards, this study suggests that improvements in U.S. living standards since 1940 may have been much greater than conventional measures indicate. The study’s VSL estimates suggest a five- to sevenfold increase in lifetime utility—a measure of overall well-being over a person’s lifetime—compared with roughly a doubling using conventional consumption-based measures.
New
2026 | Faryaar, H.
Key Takeaway: The workforce is aging: over the last 20 years, the share of workers aged 55 and over in Canada has more than doubled. Firm-level data offer insights into aging patterns. Although workforces are aging across sectors and regions, patterns vary by industry, region, and firm size.
2026 | OECD Publishing
Key Takeaway: AI is beginning to support vocational education and training (VET) by helping people to identify needed skills, develop training programs, and update qualifications. According to the report, AI works best when it supports human expertise rather than replacing it.
2026 | Sweet, M., & Scott, D.
Key Takeaway: Using Canadian survey data collected in 2021 and 2023, researchers found that although the rate of telework has decreased since the pandemic, uncertainty remains about its long-term trajectory and its effects on individuals and communities. This uncertainty makes it difficult to plan for the future.
Load More

Contact Us

350 Sparks Street
Suite 604
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 0A4

[lmic_twitter_icon]
Please enter your name.
Please enter a message.
Please check the captcha to verify you are not a robot.
Scroll To Top