(Ottawa) Although Canadians fear that artificial intelligence (AI) could one day steal their jobs, a growing number are nonetheless turning to the tools it offers, according to a new survey.
The survey conducted by the Léger firm concludes that 30% of Canadians now use artificial intelligence tools, compared to 25% a year ago, even if two-thirds of respondents admitted that the prospect of having them in their lives is worrying.
Survey of 1,614 Canadians shows clear gap between how younger and older people view AI: 58% of 18- to 34-year-olds reported using AI tools, compared to just 13% of 55-year-olds and more.
Christian Bourque, executive vice-president of Léger, however, believes that the number of people who have been exposed to or interacted with AI is probably higher, because some people may not know they are using it.
Respondents aged 18 to 34 were more familiar with the concept of a chatbot, a computer program that simulates and processes a human conversation, with 64% saying it was familiar to them, compared to 38% of those over 55.
Those who have used AI services or tools generally had a good experience with them, with 71% rating them as good or excellent.
But Canadians, in general, seem to have mixed feelings, with 31% of respondents believing they are good for society and 32% believing the opposite. Respondents’ positions on the issue varied by age; 42% of younger respondents thought AI tools were good for society, compared to just 23% of older Canadians.
Private life
Some of the common concerns relate to privacy and the fear that society will become too dependent on AI, which 81% of respondents agree with.
Three-quarters of respondents said AI tools lack the emotion and empathy needed to make good decisions and threaten human jobs.
Most Canadians, 58%, trust artificial intelligence to do things like adjust their thermostat, listen to music or vacuum their house, while slightly fewer, 53%, trust to it for facial recognition or to biometrics to access personal information.
Canadians are more cautious about using AI tools to create content for important projects at school or work, with only 37% trusting them in this context. The age gap was also evident in this question, with 44% of those aged 18 to 34 having confidence in technology for these projects, compared to 29% of those aged 55 and over. Similarly, almost half of younger respondents agreed with the idea that tech platforms use AI to decide what content to display on social media, compared to 23% of older Canadians.
Trust diminishes when it comes to personal safety. Less than a quarter of respondents trust AI to transport them in a vehicle, although the age gap was again evident.
A similar divide was seen when it came to relying on artificial intelligence to find a life partner online: a quarter of respondents aged 18 to 34 would rely on the technology, compared to just 10 % of people aged over 55.
This Leger survey has no margin of error because online surveys are not considered truly random samples.