'Canada's challenge isn't AI adoption — it's AI confidence'
Canadian workers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to get their jobs done — but for many, that help comes with a side of shame.
A new survey finds that 43 percent feel guilty using AI to produce work, a number that climbs to 56 percent among Gen Z employees.
Nearly four in 10 workers surveyed — 39 percent — said using AI to complete parts of their job feels like cheating.
More than a third, 34 percent, went further, admitting they actively hide their AI use from their employer. Accordingly, almost half of businesses surveyed, 45 percent, suspect employees are using personal AI accounts at work without company knowledge, known as “shadow AI.”
Lack of confidence about AI
The unease doesn't appear to stem from reluctance to use the technology. Instead, the data points to a confidence problem: just 41 percent of Canadian workers believe their AI skills are good enough for today's job market, and 60 percent rate their own AI competence as low to average, finds Employment Hero.
Much of that gap falls on employers. More than half of workers surveyed, 51 percent, said their employer does little or nothing to help them build AI skills. Left to figure it out largely on their own, 58 percent said they'd picked up whatever AI skills they have from social media rather than any formal training.
Employment Hero tied the findings to a broader national push already underway: the federal government's “AI for All” strategy, which aims to improve AI literacy and adoption across the country. The company argued the numbers show that effort will only go so far without employers stepping up their own support.
"Canada's challenge isn't AI adoption — it's AI confidence," said Chris Pinkerton, managing director at Employment Hero Canada. "Workers already recognize AI is becoming an essential workplace skill, but many still feel they need to hide using it because they don't have clear guidance or confidence in what's acceptable."
The report is based on a survey of 3,290 business leaders and 5,454 workers across Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.K., between April 23 and May 7, 2026. The Canadian sample included 1,001 business leaders and 1,500 workers.
