Despite 'deep-seated' fears about the technology, more Canadians are using AI tools: survey

Despite concerns that artificial intelligence lacks empathy and is coming to steal their jobs, increasing numbers of Canadians are turning to AI tools, a new survey shows.

30 per cent of Canadians now use artificial intelligence tools, up from 25 per cent a year ago, according to the Leger survey, although two-thirds of respondents said it was scary to have them in their lives.

The survey of 1,614 Canadians shows a stark difference between younger and older people's attitudes toward AI — 58 percent of those 18 to 34 reported using AI tools, compared to 13 percent of those 55 and older.

Leger executive vice president Christian Burke says the number of people exposed to or interacting with AI may be higher than reported, as some people may not even know they're using it. A chatbot may identify itself as Dave on a website, for example, and the user may not realize that Dave is not a real person.

Respondents aged 18 to 34 were most familiar with the concept of chatbots, or automated chat assistants on websites, with 64 percent familiar with the concept compared to 38 percent for those 55 and older. are not considered truly random samples.

Those who used AI services or tools generally had a good experience with them, with 71 percent rating them as good or excellent.

But Canadians in general have mixed opinions, with 31 percent of respondents saying it's good for society and 32 percent saying it's bad for society. Respondents' views on this matter varied by age; 42 percent of younger respondents believe AI tools are beneficial to society, compared to only 23 percent of older Canadians.

Some of the common concerns are privacy and concerns that society will become too dependent on AI, with 81 percent of those surveyed agreeing. Three-quarters said AI tools lack the emotions and empathy needed to make good decisions and put people's jobs at risk.

Burke said the results show that “people are deeply afraid of the use of AI in society.”

Most, or 58 percent, trust AI to adjust the thermostat, play music, or vacuum the house, while slightly fewer, 53 percent, believe it will use facial recognition or biometrics to access personal information.

Canadians are wary of using AI tools to create content for important projects at school or work, with only 37 trusting them in this context. The age difference was also evident in this question, with 44 percent of those aged 18 to 34 trusting the technology of these projects, and 29 percent of those over 55.

Similarly, almost half of younger respondents were positive about technology platforms using AI to decide what content to display on social media, compared to 23 per cent of older Canadians.

Confidence is low when it comes to personal safety. Less than a quarter trusted AI for in-car transportation, though the age gap was again clear, with 28 percent of the youngest demographic trusting teenage intelligence compared to 16 percent of older ones.

A similar divide was evident when it came to relying on AI to find a life partner online, with a quarter of 18- to 34-year-olds trusting the technology, compared to just 10 percent of over-55s.