New technology involving artificial intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT and Google Bard are dominating conversations and headlines across Canada.
But what do Canadians really think about AI, and how many have used the technology?
A new survey by Leger, published Feb. 23, dives into what Canadians and Americans think about AI tech and how familiar they are with its uses.
A sample of 1,539 Canadians and 1,000 Americans over the age of 18 were randomly selected for the survey. The questionnaire had 25 questions and was collected between Feb. 10 and Feb. 12.
The survey found the majority (65 per cent) of Canadian respondents had not used an AI tool, with 19 per cent saying they had in a “personal context” only. About nine per cent said they had used AI for work or school.
Broken down by age, about 44 per cent who said they had used AI tools were between the ages of 18 to 34.
According to the data, Alberta had the highest number of people (30 per cent) who had used AI before, followed by 26 per cent of respondents in Ontario and 24 per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Overall, 25 per cent of Canadians say they had used AI before, versus 21 per cent of Americans.
Overwhelmingly, many Canadians do not trust AI to be involved in their more personal day-to-day life.
When asked if they would trust AI to teach children, about 48 per cent said “not at all.” Similarly, 43 per cent said they would not trust AI to transport them from one place to another without a driver.
About 41 per cent of Canadians said they wouldn’t trust AI to help find them a life partner.
However, when it comes to completing tasks at home or answering questions about a product online, Canadians are more likely to trust AI. About 46 per cent said they trust the tech to turn down music or adjust the thermostat in their home.
Roughly 41 per cent said they would “somewhat” trust AI to answer questions via a website chat.
According to the survey, younger Canadians tended to trust AI more than older Canadians with many tasks.
The reason Canadians may not trust AI could be linked to people believing “they lack emotion/ empathy required to make good decisions.” About 37 per cent strongly agreed AI can’t make good decisions due to its lack of human emotion.
Canadians also said they believe AI is susceptible to fraud or hacking.
AI can come in many forms, such as smart home features or facial recognition detection technology. The majority of Canadians (41 per cent) are “somewhat familiar” the survey says, with home-based AI tools like robot vacuums.
Canadians were second-most familiar with facial detection software AI tools, with 38 per cent saying they were somewhat familiar.
Tools like ChatGPT and Synthesia which create content such as text, images and voices are the most unfamiliar to Canadians, according to the survey. About 43 per cent of respondents said they were “not at all familiar” with the AI tools.
Younger Canadians, aged 18 to 34, were more familiar with AI tools than older Canadians above the age of 35.
Canadians aged 18 to 34 were most familiar (65 per cent) with home-based AI tools and least familiar (43 per cent) with content creation AI like ChatGPT. Older Canadians were least likely to be familiar with any AI tools.
Between Canada and the U.S., Americans were more familiar across the board with all AI tools, despite not using them as much as Canadians.
The survey found the majority (65 per cent) of Canadian respondents had not used an AI tool, with 19 per cent saying they had in a ‘personal context’ only. (Graph by Natasha O’Neill with data from Leger)
With somewhat of an understanding of how AI works and what it is used for, about 36 per cent of Canadians believed the tech is good for society. The positive opinion increased to 52 percent for younger Canadians and decreased for those aged 55 and older to 25 per cent, the survey shows.
Manitoba and Saskatchewan residents were most likely (39 per cent) to believe AI is bad for society compared to the second-highest (31 per cent) negative response from B.C. respondents.
Compared to the U.S., Canadians had better positive attitudes towards AI than Americans, with 36 per cent of respondents from Canada saying the tech is good for society compared to 32 per cent of respondents from the States.
————–
A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error ±2.50%, 19 times out of 20 for the Canadian sample and of ±3.09%, 19 times out of 20 for the American sample. The results presented in this study comply with the public opinion research standards and disclosure requirements of CRIC (the Canadian Research and Insights Council) and the global ESOMAR network.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.
The first female Black superintendent in Toronto Police Service history was attempting to diversify the ranks on her own when she helped six constables cheat in a promotions exam, her lawyer told a police tribunal.
The Manitoba Court of Appeal has dismissed Peter Nygard's application for a judicial review of an order to extradite the former fashion mogul to the United States, where he faces sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Antisemitism in Canada exploded last year as the war unfolding in Israel and Gaza was used to 'justify' the targeting of Jews in Canada, B'nai Brith said Monday as it released its latest report on antisemitism.
Three people from southern Ontario were nabbed on Highway 144 over the weekend, leading to a haul of illegal drugs and a handgun.
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.
Three suspects accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year are scheduled to appear in court in Surrey on Tuesday.
Russia on Monday defended its veto of a UN resolution urging all nations to prevent a nuclear arms race in outer space, challenging the U.S., Japan and their western allies to support Moscow's rival resolution calling for a ban on all weapons in space 'for all time.'
An American soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, according to U.S. officials. The soldier was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to the United States, but travelled to Russia.
A multi-story apartment building under construction collapsed Monday in a coastal city in South Africa, killing two construction workers and leaving 53 trapped under the rubble, authorities said.
China's President Xi Jinping on Monday called for a global truce during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer after the French president and the head of the European Commission urged him to use his influence on Russia to end its war in Ukraine.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont says he will run for reelection this year, squelching speculation that the 82-year-old progressive icon might retire at a time when the Democratic Party is anxious about the advancing age of its leaders.
U.S. President Joe Biden again urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against launching an offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah as Israel on Monday appeared to be moving closer to an offensive to root out Hamas militants.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
A U.S. farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows.
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Researchers in Israel are turning to artificial intelligence to comb through piles of records to try to identify hundreds of thousands of Jewish people killed in the Holocaust whose names are missing from official memorials.
AI tools can offer recommendations, answer questions and 'talk' with users. But some users are using them to recreate the likeness of the dead.
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.
Two of hip-hop’s biggest stars have beef and people are taking sides.
In July 2013, Travis was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy, a virus that attacks the heart, and later suffered a stroke. The Country Music Hall of Famer had to relearn how to walk, spell and read in the years that followed. A condition called aphasia limits his ability to speak — it's why his wife Mary Travis assists him in interviews. It's also why he hasn't released new music in over a decade, until now.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it has opened an investigation into Boeing after the beleaguered company reported that workers at a South Carolina plant falsified inspection records on certain 787 planes.
Canada's Competition Bureau has launched an inquiry into Vancouver-based Lululemon following a complaint from members of an environmental group.
'Incendiary objects' have allegedly been placed under machinery on the site of Northvolt's future battery plant in Monteregie, seriously endangering employees, according to the company.
Whether passionate about Poirot or hungry for Holmes, Winnipeg mystery obsessives have had a local haunt for over 30 years in which to search out their latest page-turners.
AI tools can offer recommendations, answer questions and 'talk' with users. But some users are using them to recreate the likeness of the dead.
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
Spurs' star Victor Wembanyama has been announced as the unanimous winner of the NBA's Rookie of the Year award.
Capping off a weekend of photo finishes, Kyle Larson won NASCAR's AdventHealth 400 by a staggering 0.001 seconds in Kansas on Sunday.
Brittney Griner continues her efforts to settle into a normal routine following her release from a Russian prison 17 months ago.
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Drivers in Saskatchewan will now lose their licence for a week and their vehicle for a month if they are caught committing certain high-speed and dangerous offences on the road.
Auto sales last month totalled 164,000 units, higher than April 2023, which was the weakest month for sales last year.
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
A former band teacher at a Vancouver high school has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting one of his former students, CTV News has learned.
Jennifer Sullivan planned to spend this week preparing her shop, Special Moments Flowers and Gifts, for Mother's Day, which is one of the busiest days of the year for florists.
Police are investigating after a stranger allegedly tried luring an 11-year-old girl in East Vancouver over the weekend.
Two of hip-hop’s biggest stars have beef and people are taking sides.
The first female Black superintendent in Toronto Police Service history was attempting to diversify the ranks on her own when she helped six constables cheat in a promotions exam, her lawyer told a police tribunal.
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Parts of southern Alberta are expecting significant rainfall over the next few days, which is welcome news for farmers.
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Students from Sir Guy Carleton Secondary School have placed roses outside the city building in Nepean where one of their classmates was stabbed on Thursday and later died of his injuries.
Newly released statistics show the photo radar camera on King Edward Avenue, between Cathcart Street and St. Patrick Street, issued 7,569 tickets during its first month of operation in March.
Pro-Palestinian protesters who have set up an encampment at Montreal's McGill University say they're no closer to taking down their tents after meeting with members of the school administration.
'Incendiary objects' have allegedly been placed under machinery on the site of Northvolt's future battery plant in Monteregie, seriously endangering employees, according to the company.
According to a report by French-language media outlet the Journal de Montreal, from 2018 to 2023, the number of teachers quitting increased by 76 per cent, for a total of 4,880.
An Ontario woman working in Edmonton has been convicted of defrauding newcomers of tens of thousands of dollars.
Alberta's municipal affairs minister declined Monday to clarify whether towns and cities would still get their say before changes are made to a contentious bill that gives the province broad authority to fire local councillors.
A 24-year-old man has been charged in the death of a 44-year-old man in the Alberta Avenue area last Friday.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) is searching for a man missing from a capsized recreational boat in Annapolis County, N.S., Monday night.
Three people – including two teens – are dead, and two others are injured after a crash that has left a greater Fredericton community shaken.
The IWK Health Centre in Halifax is looking for a 17-year-old patient who has gone missing.
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Springtime is here and a popular attraction at The Leaf is undergoing a metamorphosis.
A windfall from a lawsuit against big tobacco could see a major expansion to help cancer patients.
The possibility of a strike by both Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) rail workers has Saskatchewan's major economic drivers sounding alarms.
The Hudson's Bay department store location at Regina's Cornwall Centre will close its doors in 2025.
The organization that oversees the province's Crown corporations says that a SaskTel employee was caught taking personal payments in a cash-for-credits scheme.
There have been two fatal wrong-way collisions on Highway 401 in the last week, and on Sunday, another driver was seen travelling in the opposite direction near Cambridge, Ont.
A couple of Stratford residents claim they have been banned from attending any city owned properties or from speaking with any city staff for three months.
A Guelph, Ont. man is believed to be responsible for stealing more than $300,000 worth of product from LCBO stores across the province.
Prince Albert police say a 29-year-old man charged in the murder of his mother had assaulted a staff member at Victoria Hospital the night before the killing.
Aaron Fosseneuve says the official name of the road into his home community of Cumberland House is Highway 123, but locals joke it’s not as easy as 1-2-3 — “it’s more like a 4-5-6.”
The Saskatoon Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors are getting ready for what’s sure to be an epic game seven at Sasktel Centre, capping off one of the tightest series in recent history.
A 32-year-old northern Ontario woman has been charged in a head-on collision on Highway 17 near Espanola that killed one and seriously injured two others Sunday.
When people find drug litter on public property in Timmins, the city wants them to contact Service Timmins.
A Brampton man in his 30s charged with abducting a northern Ontario boy last summer has elected to be tried by a judge without a jury.
Homeowners living near the former McCormick/Beta Brands building are again raising the alarm over a structure that has been vacant for nearly two decades.
A last ditch effort at city hall might see the doors to Ark Aid Street Mission’s winter homeless shelter remain open past the end of this month.
A London, Ont. jury heard evidence on Monday that the children at the centre of a sexual abuse case sought refuge at the home of family friends just before they went to police.
Sentencing has been handed down to two men who pleaded guilty for their roles in a Barrie catwalk shooting last spring that left the victim fighting for his life.
A motorcyclist was airlifted via air ambulance after a collision in an Owen Sound intersection.
A 21-year-old horse was injured after the trailer he was in overturned following a collision in New Tecumseth.
With an infectious giggle and a strong desire to help others, Hannah Pare had all the tools to be a spectacular nurse. But that thrill has quickly turned into heartbreaking agony for Hannah's family after complications from a routine surgery cut her life short.
The Town of Tecumseh could soon be without crossing guards altogether, as council considers a plan to phase them out.
Ward 4 Coun. Mark McKenzie is calling for greater collaboration between the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSC) and the Windsor Police Service in response to a recent rise in youth crime across the city.
Three suspects accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year are scheduled to appear in court in Surrey on Tuesday.
Amid ongoing protest encampments on university campuses in B.C., the province’s human rights commissioner is calling on institutions to protect free speech.
London Drugs stores are unable to fill new prescriptions, the chain announced Monday, providing an update on its reopening following a cybersecurity incident.
Models in uniquely designed red dresses are taking to the runway in British Columbia this weekend to make a powerful fashion statement about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Lethbridge police are looking for two people they believe were involved in the 'street robbery' of a senior last week.
Animal shelters across the province are finding themselves frequently at capacity — or more.
Lethbridge police say impaired driving is to blame in a fatal crash that killed a 25-year-old man on Thursday.
In an effort to increase awareness across the region, the Ontario Provincial Police North East is publicizing intimate partner violence statistics across its 12 detachments from April.
Citing growing interest among residents and community groups, the City of Sault Ste. Marie is allowing boulevard gardens for the first time this year.
A 26-year-old suspect has been arrested in Sault Ste. Marie for an incident that took place in early April.
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says an officer convicted in 2021 of raping a woman while on duty is no longer with the force.
A homeless man in Newfoundland says he refuses to sleep in a shelter after workers wearing balaclavas and haz-mat suits tore down a tent encampment in St. John's on Friday.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
© 2024 
All rights reserved. Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy