Statistics Canada: 1 in 3 Workers Used Generative AI on the Job in the Past Year

A Statistics Canada report released Thursday found that just over one in three Canadian workers reported using generative AI tools at work within the past 12 months. A broader measure shows 41.6% used at least one AI or automation technology in their job or business over the same period.

Awareness of generative AI is nearly universal: 93.4% of workers are aware of these tools. Of that group, 51.5% said they knew how to apply them to their current work, while 37.4% said they were familiar with the tools but did not believe they applied to their role.

Despite adoption, usage remains infrequent. Nearly two-thirds (63.5%) of workers who used AI tools in the past year described their use as moderate, and 24.9% reported minimal usage. Only 11.9% used AI tools broadly on a daily basis, and 3.6% said they use AI for every task.

Adoption varied significantly by sector. Professional, scientific, and technical services led at 65.6%, followed by finance, insurance, and real estate at 59.2%, and educational services at 53.0%. Accommodation and food services had the lowest adoption at 16.3%, followed by agriculture (17.5%) and transportation and warehousing (21.1%).

Key takeaways:

• 1 in 3 Canadian workers used generative AI at work in the past 12 months (Statistics Canada)
• 93.4% of workers are aware of generative AI tools
• Usage is largely sporadic: only 11.9% use AI tools on a daily basis
• Tech and finance sectors lead adoption; hospitality and agriculture lag significantly

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