Public Opinion, Immigration and New Technologies
Sub-Theme: The Role of ADTs in Driving Polarization in Liberal Democracies
This project aims to better understand Canadians’ attitudes toward the use of AI and information technologies for selecting and offering integration services to immigrants.
Objective
This project focuses on public opinion in Canada on immigration and new technologies, and more specifically on immigration policies, immigrants’ integration, and AI. The project aims to measure how Canadians perceive these issues, uncover unconscious biases, and assess how demographic factors, immigration background, political attitudes, national identity, technological and AI literacy, among other factors, shape their opinions.
More specifically, the project aims to assess Canadians’ attitudes toward the use of new technologies by governmental agencies in services for immigrants and other Canadians, measuring expectations toward the success of various integration programs and integration success of various immigrants’ profiles, and comparing how social trust varies across contexts, online and in-person.
Research question(s)
- Are Canadians biased against immigrants regarding the use of AI by governmental agencies, and what factors drive these biases?
- What factors influence Canadians expectations of immigrant’s integration success and government integration programs’ success whether online or in person?
- How do online contacts compare to in-person contacts in the development of social trust toward Canadian-born and foreign-born citizens?
Methodology
This project will rely mostly on survey experiments to address the research questions. Comparisons across conditions will allow researchers to unobtrusively measure citizens preferences, attitudes, and biases. The potential role and influence of other factors will also be measured and evaluated.
Outcomes
Past events and presentations:
- Canadian Public Opinion Toward the Electoral Participation of Migrants, presented by Scott C., Concordia University, 12 November, 2024
- Do People Care When Artificial Intelligence Is Biased against Out-Groups?, presented by Coulombe, M., Bilodeau, A., American Political Science Association Annual Conference, 14 October, 2025
- Une formation pour les intégrer tous et toutes ? Les opinions des Québécois et autres Canadiens, presented by Bilodeau, A., Coulombe, M., Colloque annuel du RQ3i: 14 October, 2025
Status
This project is currently in progress.
Keywords
Immigration; integration; Artificial intelligence; Information technologies; Public opinion
