Canadians call for heavy AI regulation, but three-quarters doubt any government can keep up with the technology - Angus Reid Institute

›

Part One · Regulation over speed

Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he wants Canada to be a global leader in responsible AI, and Pope Leo XIV himself recently called for "robust regulation" of the technology. That instinct is broadly shared by the public: two-thirds (68%) say heavy regulation should be prioritized even at the risk of slowing development, while just one-in-six (16%) would leave it to tech companies to self-regulate. The appetite for a hands-off approach roughly doubles among past Conservative voters (30%).

Part One · Can they keep up?

Easier said than done. While the desire to regulate is broad, confidence that governments can actually pull it off in such a fast-moving environment is not: three-quarters (74%) say no government is truly equipped to regulate AI quickly enough to keep pace, and only 14 per cent believe it can be done. That skepticism shapes how Canadians want Ottawa to proceed — seven-in-10 (70%) say the government should be cautious about adopting AI given the risk of unintended consequences, versus one-in-five (20%) who want it to invest and move quickly.

Part One · The jobs question

The leaked strategy boasts of creating up to 90,000 AI-related opportunities for young Canadians and supporting 250,000 new jobs through adoption — but says little about net losses, and that is where public worry sits. Across white-collar, blue-collar and retired Canadians alike, 45 per cent expect AI to significantly reduce the number of available jobs over the next decade, against just three per cent who foresee significant gains. Asked how to handle employers who lay off staff and replace them with AI, four-in-five (79%) support some form of punitive taxation.

Part Two · Data centres a hard sell

The infrastructure push is on — projects have been announced in Vancouver, Kamloops and Merritt, B.C., in Olds and Grande Prairie, Alta., in Regina and across the GTA. In principle, nearly half (46%) agree Canada needs domestic AI infrastructure to keep digital services under Canadian control. But the welcome cools sharply when a project comes close to home: two-thirds (68%) would oppose a large data centre within a few blocks of where they live, with rural residents (73% opposed) even more resistant than urban ones (67%). Opposition is highest in B.C. (71%), where local protests have already erupted; Quebec shows the most support, at just 19 per cent.

Part Two · Weighing the pros and cons

Canadians see some upside to data centres but grow more skeptical as the impacts move closer to daily life. The most positive case is Canada's ability to compete globally in AI and tech, where good outweighs bad 38 to 20 — though a plurality remain unsure. Views are roughly even on the economic case. But on local and environmental questions the verdict is clearly negative: two-thirds say data centres are bad for energy and environmental sustainability (67%) and for neighbourhoods and surrounding communities (63%), and half (52%) say they are bad for job creation.

Methodology

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from May 7–11, 2026, among a randomized sample of 1,803 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The sample was weighted to be representative of the adult population by region, gender, age, household income and education, based on the census. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI.