CDW Canada, a provider of technology solutions and services for Canadian organizations, this month released a research report exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping workplaces across the country.
The report, titled “Unlocking AI’s Potential: How to Build Trust and Capability in the Canadian Workplace,” features research conducted among members of the Angus Reid Forum.
Without a ton of shock, the research found that adoption of AI tools in Canadian workplaces surged this year.
In 2025, half of office employees report using AI for work—whether approved by their employer or not—a figure up from just one-third last year.
And employee access to workplace-approved AI tools nearly doubled year-over-year, from 18% in 2024 to more than 50% this year.
Brian Matthews believes that “AI adoption in Canadian workplaces has reached a tipping point in 2025.”
Matthews, who serves serves as the Head of Services Strategy & Development for CDW Canada’s Modern Workspace practice, adds that the report observes “a clear shift from experimentation to everyday use.”
“The increase in both comfort and access highlights how AI is rapidly becoming a trusted and essential part of the modern workplace,” he remarked.
However, many organizations remain behind the curve when it comes to implementation policies around AI and integrating the technology effectively and at scale, according to data from CDW’s report.
While a strong majority of workers who receive official AI training and policy education report a higher level of comfort with using the technology, a modest 39% report that their organization has workplace AI policies in place—and, among employees with access to AI at work, just 20% report being offered formal training.
“Employees are ready and eager to embrace AI, but a lack of guidance remains a barrier,” suggests Ashley Otto, who functions as Senior Product Manager for CDW Canada’s Modern Workspace practice.
“Organizations that invest in formal training, structured policies, and reliable tools will not only accelerate adoption but also maximize the benefits and reduce data management risks,” Otto believes.
Matthews agrees, commenting how organizations that “wait too long for their workforce to get familiar with these powerful tools” may fall behind.
Benefits of AI reported by workers including higher productivity and “faster innovation.” Again, no shock. But concerns around over-dependence on AI and potential job less remain persistent, the research found, and may even be growing. And other concerns, including the accuracy of AI output and data privacy risks, are also still top-of-mind for a significant number of Canadians, according to the report.
There is “still work to be done to overcome these barriers through education around safe usage,” the report reads, acknowledging that concerns are “quite valid.”
CDW Canada was established in 2003.
