As we move beyond the excitement surrounding generative AI, it is becoming increasingly clear that this technology is not just a passing trend. Many companies, however, don’t have the policies in place, nor are they offering the education needed to ensure staff use these tools in the most efficient and secure ways. Those are just some of the takeaways from KPMG in Canada’s latest Generative AI Adoption Index, where we dive into Canada’s progress in embracing generative AI at work.

In August 2024, we conducted a survey among Canadian adults and found nearly half (46%) of workers are using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in their jobs, up from 22% last year. Among them, 65% use generative AI solutions at work every day, up from 51% in May 2023. While that should be good news, the survey also found that only 18% of employees say their company formally allows the use of generative AI tools and have a comprehensive policy in place.

This year’s survey explores generative AI-related trends, issues and opportunities that employees and companies across Canada are dealing with today. Whether you’re already using these tools to generate business value or are still testing out these technologies, KPMG in Canada’s report will help you make better decisions, understand risks and, build an AI strategy that drives business value for the long term.

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Generative AI Adoption Index report

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Generative AI can give employees hours in time-savings every week.

Among Canadians using generative AI in the workplace:

Employees are making use of those time-savings, but what they do with their remaining time varies.

Among Canadians using generative AI in the workplace:

As adoption increases, employees are also engaging in more risky behaviour, potentially posing harm to their employers.

Among Canadians using generative AI in the workplace:

52%

Say they’re saving between 1 and 5 hours per week with generative AI.

68%

Say they’re using their time on more high-value tasks and brainstorming, while 22% say they’re using the extra time on personal activities.

19%

Said they’ve entered private financial data about their company into a public generative AI tool.

Research methodology

The KPMG Generative AI Adoption Index measures the use of generative AI tools among Canadian employees and is weighted on frequency of use, with a score of 100 indicating mass adoption. The index is based on a KPMG in Canada survey of 2,183 employees (aged 18+) from August 6-21, 2024, using Sago’s Methodify online research platform. The index score for 2024 is 31.6, an increase of 17 points since 2023. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points, with a confidence level of 95%.