A new report from Statistics Canada reveals that while the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many Canadian businesses to move their operations online – and current digital indicators remain higher than those seen before the pandemic – some have nonetheless declined from their peaks during the pandemic.
The Digital Technology and Internet Usage Survey, 2023 found that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has increased significantly since the last survey conducted in 2021. In fact, 7% of Canadian businesses with five or more employees are using AI-enabled software or hardware, up 3% from the previous survey results.
Generative AI
“About 3 in 4 (73%) companies using AI technologies have used generative AI in 2023. This is the most commonly used type, followed by automatic speech recognition technologies (26%) and technologies that automate workflows or support decision-making (25%),” the report’s authors say.
“Nearly two-thirds (64%) of companies that have used AI said these technologies are used by only a few employees, and just over a quarter (27%) said these technologies are used by a few or more teams.”
Cloud services
The most widely used information and communication technology in 2023 is cloud computing, according to 48% of companies, an increase of 3% compared to 2021 figures.
When it comes to company size, the report’s authors explain that large companies are most likely to use AI technology in 2023; some 26% of large companies report using the technology, compared to 8% of mid-sized companies and 6% of small companies who report the same.
The report notes that several digital-related indicators have stabilized or declined since 2021. Among them, e-commerce sales were not significantly different from 2021 and 2019 figures. The percentage of companies offering employees the option to telework, meanwhile, is increasing.
About 28% of companies surveyed between November 2023 and March 2024 offered employees the option to work remotely in 2023 compared to 19% in 2019, but this is down from 33% of employers offering remote work in 2021.
