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.