OTTAWA A recent survey indicates that 28 per cent of Canadians view artificial intelligence systems, like ChatGPT, as reliable sources of information. This finding is part of the annual CanTrust Index published by Proof Strategies.
Among Canadian Generation Z, which includes individuals born between 1997 and 2012, the figure rises significantly with 41 per cent considering AI systems credible. This trust levels are slightly below the 49 per cent who expressed confidence in news media websites. The results also reveal that trust in AI's reliability is primarily stronger among younger males, with 54 per cent of Gen Z males indicating a high level of trust in the results provided by AI platforms such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
Bruce MacLellan, chair of Proof Strategies, cautioned, “Time will tell if it’s OK to trust AI. Certainly now people need to take a skeptical approach and do lots of fact-checking.”
Florian Martin-Bariteau, a research chair in technology and society at the University of Ottawa, expressed his concerns regarding the survey results, noting that many people lack an understanding of how generative AI functions and are often unaware that it can produce erroneous or fabricated information, a phenomenon referred to as “hallucinations.”
According to Martin-Bariteau, AI systems do not comprehend concepts in the same way humans do; instead, they discern patterns in training data to forecast and generate new content. “They kind of guess… and many times, especially on some important questions or a complex issue, they guess wrong,” he added. He advocates for better education for the public about AI technologies, emphasizing the importance of knowing how to interact with AI systems effectively.
Despite the notable percentage of Canadians who trust AI systems, there remains an overarching skepticism regarding their reliability. The survey revealed that 43 per cent of respondents believe the proliferation of AI-generated content could diminish the trustworthiness of information sources. In contrast, only 22 per cent claimed that AI would enhance their trust in what they read or see.
The CanTrust Index assesses Canadians' trust in various people and institutions. The online survey, conducted between January 9 and January 18, questioned 1,515 Canadians. The Canadian Research Insights Council, the polling industry's professional body, noted that online surveys lack a margin of error due to non-random sampling of the population.
When evaluating trust in news sources, older Canadians reported levels of trust in online news that aligned closely with those of Gen Z respondents, but the faith in AI systems was markedly lower. Only 14 per cent of baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) expressed trust in AI search results, compared to 27 per cent of Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) and 36 per cent of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996). Meanwhile, traditional news sources garnered more trust, with 51 per cent of Gen Z and 60 per cent of boomers rating newspapers and TV and radio broadcasts as credible.
MacLellan noted a rising trend in the belief that AI could significantly benefit specific sectors. For instance, confidence in AI to support retail increased from 22 per cent last year to 39 per cent in this poll. Trust in AI within healthcare rose from 27 to 38 per cent, the travel sector saw an increase from 23 to 37 per cent, and financial services grew from 29 to 35 per cent.
The survey also explored how the federal government might bolster trust among Canadians. MacLellan highlighted concerns regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatening rhetoric, which could create an opportunity for Ottawa. He noted that nearly two-thirds of respondents, 65 per cent, believe that the federal government could enhance its trustworthiness by taking a stand against external threats to Canadian prosperity.
“We’re surprised that there’s all of a sudden a big new factor for trust in Canada, and that’s the threat of Donald Trump, and how he’s unifying Canadians and has the potential to build trust in our government and in our politicians, if they stand up to him effectively,” MacLellan remarked. This situation unfolds as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prepares to step down, coinciding with an impending federal election, creating a potential shift in leadership dynamics in Ottawa.
Overall, the findings of this survey highlight the varied perceptions of AI reliability across different demographics in Canada, alongside an ongoing discussion about the necessary measures for building trust in both AI technologies and governmental institutions.
