This week, we surveyed Canadians on their use, attitudes and feelings towards artificial intelligence.
Highlights of our survey include…
Use and Satisfaction of AI Tools
- Nearly six in ten Canadians (57%) have already used an AI tool, a sharp increase from 47% in March 2025. Younger Canadians are leading the way: 83% of those aged 18–34 have tried AI, compared to just 34% of those 55 and older. Usage is split between work/school contexts (27%) and personal contexts (46%).
- Overall satisfaction of AI tools is high: three-quarters (75%) of users rate their experience as good or excellent. Positive ratings are especially strong among younger adults (86% of 18–34-year-olds).
- Chatbots/assistants such as ChatGPT are by far the most used (73%), followed by AI-enhanced search engines (53%) and social media features (29%). Productivity apps (25%) and image generators (20%) also have significant uptake.
Opinion and Cognitive Impact of AI tools
- Canadians are divided: 34% say AI is good for society, 36% believe it is harmful, and 31% are unsure. Those results are similar to those of March 2025 (32% perceived them as good for society and 35% as bad). Canadians who have used an AI tool (49%) and younger respondents (45% of those 18–34) are more positive.
- Nearly half of AI users (46%) also worry that reliance on AI could make people intellectually lazy or weaken cognitive skills. Concern is highest among Canadians who think AI is bad for society (67%) and 18-34 years old (52%).
Trust in AI
- Trust varies widely by context. A majority trust AI for simple household tasks (64%) (an increase of 11 percentage points since March 2025) or educational support (48%), but only about one in three would rely on it for health advice (36%) or financial or legal guidance (respectively 32 and 31%). Replacing teachers ranks lowest (18%).
- Canadians express strong concerns: 83% have privacy worries, 83% fear society will become too dependent, and 78% believe AI threatens jobs, spreads false information during elections, or lacks the emotions and empathy to make good decisions. However, Canadians also see some benefits: 60% say AI improves efficiency, 44% think it reduces human error, and 42% find its content accurate.
- In addition, the vast majority of Canadians (85%) believe AI should be regulated by governments to ensure ethical and safe use, with 57% strongly in favor of such regulation. Support is stronger among older Canadians (87% of those 55+).
- When AI tools cause harm, Canadians primarily hold AI companies responsible (57%), while fewer assign blame to the user (18%) or the government (11%). Canadians who have used an AI tool are more likely to hold the government accountable (22%).
Areas of Expected Improvement
- Canadians are most optimistic about AI improving everyday convenience (51%) and workplace productivity (42%). Smaller proportions see potential benefits in entertainment (31%), education (27%), or healthcare (26%). Fewer (23%) believe AI will contribute to environmental progress.
Methodology
The results for this wave of research are based on online research conducted from August 22 to August 25, 2025 with a representative sample of 1,518 Canadian adults 18 years of age and older from Leger’s LEO panel.
Results were weighted according to age, gender, mother tongue, region, education and presence of children in the household in order to ensure a representative sample of the Canadian population.
A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey, but for comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size yields a margin of error no greater than ±2.52%, (19 times out of 20) for the sample.
