Despite Heavy Investment, Canada Is On The Fence About AI

Although Canada is investing a lot in artificial intelligence (AI), Canadians do not seem to be all that excited about the future potential of the tech.

In a survey conducted by Canadian enterprise software developer Opentext, 70% of respondents are not worried about losing their jobs to robotics, while 45% believe their job will never be taken over by AI.

The survey suggests that many Canadians aren’t exactly sure what to make of AI, or if they’ve ever interacted with it. Even so, they seem fairly certain it will transform the healthcare system, with more than 25% of respondents expecting it to make diagnoses faster and more accurate.

One-fifth of respondents believe that AI would soon enable them to consult doctors without having to take time off work to visit a doctor.

While 48% think driverless cars make the road safer, they did not seem to be passionate about riding in them, with 50% of respondents stating they would prefer to buy or rent normal cars.

When it comes to politics, Canadians are wary of its ability to make good decisions if used in government, with 33% saying the technology would fail when it comes to assessing cultural aspects.

However, many respondents believe that AI will be part of government soon, with 21% expecting it in the next 1-2 years. Expected benefits of this are reduced wait times for government services and reduced errors.