47% of Workers Say Their Workplace has Been Too Slow to Adopt New Technologies, New Research Finds

New research by the Environics Institute for Survey Research, in partnership with the Diversity Institute (DI), shows a rise in anxiety among Canadian workers about the impact of automation on their jobs. Today, 42% of workers report being concerned that their roles will soon be replaced by computers or robots, up from 27% just two years ago. The research is based on survey data of more than 5,600 Canadians collected between March 12 and April 15, 2025. Workers are also finding it increasingly difficult to keep pace with technological change: 41% say they struggle to keep up with changes caused by new digital technologies, up from 29% in 2023. These concerns come as Canada faces broader economic pressures, from demographic shifts to mounting global competition.

On November 19, 2025, at the 2025 Ontario Economic Summit (OES), Diversity Institute Founder and Academic Director, Dr. Wendy Cukier, emphasized the urgency of bridging Canada’s skills gap. The event brought together leaders from business, government and academia, focused on competitiveness, productivity and collaboration. Cukier highlighted what she has been calling an “AI paradox” in Canada: “We lead in the development of AI, but by any count, we are laggards in the adoption of AI. We haven't thought enough about adoption and how we can actually innovate, because innovation is about doing things differently.” Cukier added that the disruption posed by AI may be far greater than many realize. While the technology offers potential gains in productivity and innovation, Canada must prepare for varied scenarios—especially as skills needs, employment patterns and an aging population continue to shift.

New findings reinforce Cukier’s warning about slow technology adoption. Forty-seven per cent of workers now say their workplace has been too slow to adapt to the opportunities offered by new technologies, up from 39% just two years earlier. While Canada is often compared to the United States, Cukier highlighted a major structural difference that affects the country’s capacity to upskill workers. In the U.S., she noted, half of all companies are large corporations, giving them the scale to invest heavily in training: “AT&T can spend $1 billion upskilling its workforce and still lay off 10%,” she said. By contrast, 90% of private-sector employment in Canada is in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), making it far more challenging to make broad investments in training, technology adoption and AI readiness. “We have to keep SMEs at the forefront of everything we talk about,” she added.

This structural reality is reflected directly in the experiences of workers. The proportion of those who report not having received adequate training to make use of new technologies has increased from 33% in 2023 to 50% in 2025. To help address this gap for small and medium-sized businesses, DI, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and Magnet, with funding from the Future Skills Centre, created the Skills Bridge program (external link) . The initiative provides SMEs with free, curated online training to strengthen digital capacity, including AI, leadership, HR practices, adaptability, and equity, diversity and inclusion. It offers business leaders practical tools and learning opportunities to support long-term growth. Alongside this work, DI continues to advance research on SMEs—including Bridging the Artificial Intelligence Skills Gap and Artificial Intelligence in Action—that shows SMEs across the country are already applying AI in areas such as logistics, operations, customer service and HR, delivering measurable gains in efficiency and cost savings.

The discussion continued with a panel titled, Wiring Canada’s Workforce: The AI Advantage. Moderated by Cukier, it featured Mark Patterson, Executive Director of Magnet; Sabrina Geremia, Vice President and Country Managing Director at Google Canada; and Surranna Sandy, Chief Executive Officer of Skills for Change. With introductory remarks from Ana Serrano, President and Vice-Chancellor of OCAD University, the panel examined how Canada can boost productivity by scaling skills, accelerating AI adoption and building the infrastructure needed for the AI era. As Canada confronts the economic and technological shifts ahead, DI’s research and partnerships continue to provide evidence-based insights and practical solutions to support workers, strengthen SMEs and accelerate responsible AI adoption across the economy.