Looking for AI talent? Indigenous workers are ahead on adoption

When it comes to AI and the changing environment of the workplace, Indigenous workers are ahead of the curve, a new study finds. 

Indigenous workers not only report being more familiar with AI programs in the workplace — 66 per cent compared to 52 per cent of non-Indigenous workers — but also show more enthusiasm, engagement and willingness to embrace the change, according to a survey by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). 

The report also highlights that AI use depends on education levels. Indigenous workers with a high school education or less report using AI to help with tasks at work at 25 per cent, compared to just five per cent of non-Indigenous workers with the same level of education. 

The findings challenge assumptions employers have long held about Indigenous workers, says Wendy Cukier, academic director and founder of the Diversity Institute at TMU in Toronto. 

“There are often assumptions about who Indigenous peoples are and what their skill levels are, and those assumptions are not really supported by the evidence,” she says. 

The survey was conducted between March and April 2025, focused on gathering workplace experiences from 281 individuals identifying as First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, as part of a broader project exploring the experiences of workers and the changing nature of work. 

Why Indigenous workers are ahead on AI 

So, what is leading to the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous workers when it comes to AI? Cukier says it comes down to the workers’ own willingness to train and learn. 

When it came to training, 80 per cent of Indigenous workers report receiving AI training compared to 53 per cent of non-Indigenous workers. The report also shows that 31 per cent of Indigenous workers received AI training from sources outside their employer, compared to 19 per cent of non-Indigenous workers. 

Cukier says that part of what is driving that engagement is where many Indigenous workers are employed. They tend to be concentrated in public sector roles, where AI adoption is further along than in most small and medium-sized businesses. 

Beyond that, the report also says that Indigenous workers using AI say it is helping them be more creative at work — at 57 per cent compared to 29 per cent of non-Indigenous workers. 

“It suggests a high level of initiative, willingness to learn, and entrepreneurial spirit,” she says. 

The engagement finding 

Even with the work environment changing, the report says that Indigenous workers report being much more engaged than their non-Indigenous counterparts. 

Despite reporting higher rates of discrimination in the workplace, Indigenous workers also report higher levels of job satisfaction — with 44 per cent saying they are very satisfied compared to 30 per cent of their non-Indigenous counterparts. 

To that, Cukier says workers who feel more engaged in their jobs are likely to perform better and seek out development on their own. 

“When you see people who have faced many barriers — in education, access to employment, or advancement — it can actually result in higher levels of motivation and resilience,” she says. “Others may take many things for granted and have more of a sense of entitlement, and therefore don’t put in the extra effort required to gain new skills and develop.” 

That engagement, Cukier says, can also be linked to the training opportunities available to Indigenous workers — such as the Indigenous Skills, Employment and Training Strategy (ISETS), a federal funding program focused specifically on skills and workplace training for Indigenous peoples. 

What happens when training is provided 

When employers do invest, the report shows that Indigenous workers who receive proper training see promotions follow at double the rate of their non-Indigenous counterparts. Additionally, Indigenous workers are more willing to take on new roles and show greater mobility within their organizations. 

A similar report from the Future Skills Centre, based on interviews with Indigenous executives in 2025, noted that Indigenous professionals tend to be in high demand when meaningful training and skills development are provided. 

Cukier notes that while most small and medium-sized businesses lack the resources of larger companies, the argument for training needs to shift toward what it does for the organization, not just the individual employee. 

“It’s not contested that training is good for employees,” she says. “But we have to work harder to show employers how that translates into benefits for them — how having a trained workforce makes them more productive and more successful.” 

How employers can retain talent 

With this changing environment, how do employers retain Indigenous talent? Cukier says it starts with rethinking how jobs are filled. Most jobs in Canada are not advertised openly — they are filled through personal connections. 

“If Indigenous peoples are not part of those informal social networks, they don’t end up having access to the same employment opportunities,” she says. 

It also comes down to how organizations look at credentials as a filter, she says. Many jobs today use university degrees as a stand-in for competency — which screens out candidates who could do the job. Shifting to skills-based hiring and on-the-job training would open up the pipeline significantly, Cukier adds. 

However, the most overlooked factor, rethinking the return to office, she says 

“Return-to-work mandates may have unintended consequences for Indigenous peoples, given the geographic distribution of Indigenous communities."