"The majority of Canadians think technology will eventually navigate us to a cohesive and happier society as it becomes more woven into our everyday lives, an Ipsos survey has found.

But until then, they predict choppy waters ahead, including job losses as robots and algorithms displace human workers, tough work transitions and a fear that technology might actually, in the meantime, create greater inequity.

In short, Canadians worry that when it comes to technological advances, things will get worse before they get better. “It’s not that we Canadians are Luddites and want to turn back the clock,” says Mike Colledge, president of Ipsos Public Affairs Canada.

People believe that we’ll eventually all benefit from technology — 61 per cent of those surveyed agree — but it’s the transition period that has people feeling angst, Colledge says, pointing out that six in 10 Canadians are worried about mass unemployment.

The survey, conducted in collaboration with Communitech, provides a snapshot of how Canadians feel about technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in the lead-up to Communitech’s inaugural True North conference, which kicks off May 29 and runs until May 31, and will focus on technology as a force for good.

Conference attendees will be encouraged to attend two workshops on May 30 to help craft a “tech for good” declaration as a set of guiding principles for tech companies, policymakers and others to follow. The Rideau Hall Foundation will host the declaration as a living document that will evolve as Canadians weigh in, and former governor general David Johnston – who established the foundation – will speak at True North on May 31.

While Canadians are happy to have AI suggest what to watch on Netflix or what music to listen to, they’re less sure of AI as decisions turn personal, says Colledge. They’re not so keen on AI deciding, for example, whether they get into university, the type of healthcare they receive or who is admitted into the country as an immigrant.

The majority of Canadians surveyed (62 per cent) worry that AI programs will lead to a decline in consideration for others. They want a “human override,” says Colledge, to ensure decisions are made with empathy.

“People are worried as we go further and further down that path that those things get forgotten,” he says.

Those surveyed are also worried about a growing inequality when it comes to tech-driven change, with large businesses, young and high-income Canadians and those living in big cities benefiting the most, while new immigrants and Canadians, who are either Indigenous, older or low-income, will benefit the least.

Ipsos surveyed 2,000 Canadians in May 2017 and again in May 2018, gauging their feelings about everything from the future of AI, data security and the potential of technology as a force for good in the lead-up to True North.

Among the survey highlights:

    • 61 per cent feel most Canadian companies will leverage technology to improve the way they run their businesses.

    • 69 per cent are very worried about privacy and the security of their personal information.

    • Three-quarters agree that they should own their personal data collected by government and businesses and that they should know in advance if – and why – it’s being sold.

    • 62 per cent agree with a “technology tax” for robots and 3D printing products to help pay for income support and training for displaced workers.


That’s why tech businesses dedicate themselves to retraining people, says Colledge.

“It’s a little bit of ‘control your own destiny’ for business,” he says.

While Canadians are worried about their privacy, that hasn’t stopped them from sharing data on social media sites. One study, published in Technology and Science last year, predicts that humans will have generated about 37 trillion gigabytes of data, mostly on social media, by 2020.

Big data is the lifeblood of the digital age, writes Deloitte in “Ethics in the Age of Technological Disruption,” a paper prepared specifically for True North by the consulting firm’s Waterloo and Western Ontario Region office. The paper looks at business ethics, policy-making and technology.

“Human experience has become the raw ore for a new generation of organizations to mine for profit,” Deloitte writes. It’s what businesses are doing with that information that creates ethical concerns, but also an opportunity for business to lead the ethical way, Deloitte points out.

As technology races ahead, government may not be nimble enough to keep pace with the changes and the ethical concerns that may arise. That’s where business should step in and lead the way, the paper suggests.

Businesses should address how tech uses and sells the human experience, concerns around privacy, inclusivity, bias, as well as equal access to technology and its advances.

“Exploring these issues can help reveal how business, working together with government, can lead the way in showing how technologies can be used for good, without compromising companies’ ability to increase productivity and spur innovation,” Deloitte writes."