News Summary

A recent survey by Statistics Canada reveals that the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has doubled among Canadian businesses from May 2024 to May 2025. Despite this significant increase, AI’s impact on employment levels remains minimal. The survey indicates that 12.2 percent of businesses have implemented AI for goods production or service delivery, up from 6.1 percent in the previous year. However, nearly 90 percent of these businesses reported no change in their workforce, and those increasing headcounts due to AI dropped from 8.8 percent to 4.3 percent. The survey, conducted on 9,103 businesses, also found that a substantial portion of businesses do not see AI investment as critical, with 41.2 percent deeming it irrelevant and 17.3 percent considering it unimportant. In contrast, 28.4 percent view AI investment as somewhat or very important. The survey precedes the implementation of AI-first policies by companies like Shopify and OpenText, emphasizing AI’s growing role in business strategies.