Impacts of AI Implementation on the Canadian Workforce

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how Canadians work, from federal chat bots and driverless transit, to algorithmic surveillance in warehouses and gig plat forms. Drawing on statistical data, sectoral case studies, and interviews with trade union representatives, this report maps how AI and automation are transforming the landscape of work in Canada. 

While businesses estimate modest near-term employment effects, the study finds Canadian workers face high long-term exposure to AI-driven task substitution, intensifying digital surveillance, and eroding professional autonomy — all while government regulation lags behind. Unions and civil society are turning to collective bargaining, litigation, and advocacy to fill the governance gap. How Canada responds will determine whether AI becomes a tool for shared prosperity, or a new front in struggles for power in the workplace.

Impacts of AI Implementation on the Canadian Workforce