CDW Canada has released a new report, "Unlocking AI's Potential: How to Build Trust and Capability in the Canadian Workplace," revealing that AI adoption has seen rapid year-over-year growth. The research indicates that 50% of Canadian office workers are now using AI tools for work, a significant jump from 33% in 2024. While employee comfort with AI is also increasing, the report highlights a key challenge: the lack of formal organizational policies, training, and value measurement to support this widespread adoption.
AI adoption in Canadian workplaces has surged, with 50% of office employees now using AI tools for work, up from 33% in 2024.
Employee comfort with AI has also increased to 53% in 2025, suggesting that wider use is building greater confidence.
Organizational implementation has also grown, with 50% of IT decision-makers reporting AI tool integration, up from 35% in 2024.
Despite rising adoption, formal support systems are limited: only 39% of organizations have AI-use policies, and just 20% of AI users report receiving formal training.
This gap leads to employees relying on informal learning methods like experimentation and social media, which can create compliance and security risks.
Concerns about overdependence on AI, job loss, and data security persist, underscoring the need for clear guidance and policies.
According to the new report from CDW Canada, the use of AI tools has reached a "tipping point" in Canadian workplaces in 2025. The data shows a clear shift from experimentation to everyday use, with half of all office workers now engaging with AI for their jobs. This trend is also reflected in IT departments, where the integration of AI tools by IT decision-makers has leapt from 35% in 2024 to 50% in 2025. This rapid increase in adoption and access underscores AI's growing role as a trusted and essential component of the modern workplace.
While employees are embracing AI with enthusiasm and curiosity, the CDW Canada report reveals a significant disconnect between adoption and governance. The research found that formal support systems such as policies and training are lagging behind the rate of use. Only a minority of organizations have official AI-use policies (39%) or offer formal training (20%) to their employees. This lack of guidance pushes many users to learn through informal, and potentially risky, methods such as experimentation (67%) and online forums (20%), which can expose organizations to compliance and security vulnerabilities.
Even as AI becomes more commonplace, concerns among employees are not diminishing. The report found that a majority of employees are worried about overdependence on AI (60%), job loss (44%), and a loss of control over the technology. Users of approved tools also have concerns about data exposure and the reliability of AI-generated content. With the pace of AI innovation accelerating, the report emphasizes the need for organizations to provide clear guidance and align AI use with business goals. However, only a small number of organizations (23%) are engaging third-party consultants to navigate this complex landscape, leaving many internal teams to manage the risks and challenges on their own.
CDW Canada Corp. is a leading provider of technology services and solutions for business, government, education and healthcare. Established in 2003, CDW Canada is the country’s trusted advisor for cybersecurity, hybrid infrastructure and digital transformation. CDW Canada experts design, orchestrate and manage customized services and solutions, making technology work so people can do great things. Through its services-led approach, CDW Canada simplifies complex technology to empower customers to focus on their business and thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape. CDW Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation (Nasdaq: CDW), a Fortune 500 company.
TechIntelPro empowers B2B technology decision-makers with the latest industry trends, deep insights, leadership perspectives and actionable intelligence to drive both organizational and professional milestones—and thrive on the tech pulse.