Canadian Public Grows More Negative on AI, Researchers Warn of Limits
A nationwide poll finds rising fears about AI, while the public weighs slowing or pausing development.
What happened
A national online survey of 1,008 Canadian adults shows rising concern about AI. Three-in-five (60%) view AI as a threat, up 10 points from 2025, and 51% want to slow its development, while 18% want to abandon it altogether. Younger adults (18–34) are more likely to see AI as a threat (60%) than those 35–54 (44%) or 55+ (63%). The poll also notes high concern about AI-related harms, such as misinformation and job displacement.
Why it matters
Public sentiment can influence policy, education, and technology development. Understanding mixed fears helps educators, policymakers, and companies engage responsibly with AI.
The Research Co. poll, conducted online September 10–12, 2026 with 1,008 adults and weighted to national demographics, finds a majority of Canadians expressing worry about AI’s potential to harm education, work, and safety. While 63% worry about AI’s impact on schooling and jobs, a sizable minority also sees AI as a potential tool for positive change, though that share is smaller. The results emphasize that public opinion is nuanced: many want safeguards and slower development, not outright rejection.
A key caveat is that the figures reflect attitudes toward AI at a moment in time and are not measurements of AI performance or outcomes. The data illustrate perceptions and concerns, not guarantees about future events or capabilities, and should not be read as a universal forecast for all people or all contexts.
What this does not tell us
Results come from a single national online poll of 1,008 adults, with margins typical for such surveys; findings describe attitudes, not proven effects of AI. Public opinion is variable over time and among subgroups.
FOR PEOPLE
No direction statedWhat people think matters for shaping safe, useful AI that fits society.
FOR AI AND ITS OPERATORS
No direction statedThe piece reflects sentiment and concerns about AI rather than AI-enabled outcomes.
These are two separate readings of what the sources describe. Reported claims and risks do not by themselves establish a real-world effect.
Original sources · 1
- Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence are becoming more negative across Canada. ↗Research Co. · 2026-09-24
Reporting discovered in Canada. Discovery market does not mean the event happened there.
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