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Study: Over 2 in 3 Canadian Heavy Industry Workers Received No Formal AI Support From Their Employers TMCnet News [October 06, 2026] | / | Study: Over 2 in 3 Canadian Heavy Industry Workers Received No Formal AI Support From Their Employers AI is making its way onto factory floors, construction sites, and farms across Canada, but most heavy industry workers have been given no formal guidance on using the technology, according to new research from Punchcard Systems, an Edmonton-based digital innovation consultancy. Nearly half (49%) of Canadian heavy industry workers already use AI for work, yet over two in three (68%) have received no formal AI support or training from their employers. That figure rises to 87% of construction workers, the least supported sector in the study. This is according to Punchcard's The State of AI at Work in Canada Report, developed in partnership with Angus Reid. The report surveyed 1,100 working Canadians across a wide variety of industries to understand how AI is changing their day-to-day work and the tasks where they trust AI the most or the least. "The people closest to the work already know where AI helps and where it creates risk," said Sam Jenkins, Managing Partner at Punchcard Systems. "When employers give them proper guidance and a real say in how it's used, leaders get a much clearer picture of what AI can do for their organizations. The most meaningful AI gains come from rethinking how the work gets done, rather than bolting an AI tool onto outdated workflows and processes." Is AI saving Canadian workers time, or creating more work? It's doing both. Workers who save time with AI gain back hours each week, but nearly everyone who uses it still has to fix what it produces, with many catching AI errors before they cause an issue at work. * Over half (52%) of Canadian workers overall use AI for work. However, the adoption rate varies by industry (49% in heavy industry vs. 57% in the service sector). * Public admin and government workers are the most likely to use AI for work (76%), while automotive workers are the least likely to adopt the technology (36%). * Canadian workers who save time with AI save an average of 6.1 hours per week. * Nealy all (94%) Canadian workers rework AI-generated output before they can use it. * About one in six Canadian workers (18%) say AI-generated output has caused a problem at work, while 24% say AI errors were caught before they caused a problem. Are Canadian employers training workers to use AI? For most workers, the answer is no. Construction workers are the least supported sector, with 87% receiving no formal AI support, followed by agriculture (77%), manufacturing (67%), and transportation and logistics (65%). The lack of support persists even as AI has impacted many Canadian workers' jobs. * More than four in ten (44%) Canadian workers overall say AI has impacted their role, rising to 54% for transportation and logistics workers, 52% of professional services workers, 45% for manufacturing workers, and 45% for oil and gas workers. * For many, the biggest change is a new layer of review work added to their day. About one in five (19%) say reviewing or fact-checking AI-generated work is a regular part of their job. * One in ten (10%) workers say their employer tracks or monitors their AI use, such as token usage, number of prompts, or activity inside AI tools. Only 6% of workers who use AI say they've been given formal responsibility for AI governance, policy, or safe use at their organization. Workers whose employers provide formal AI support are three times as likely to hold that responsibility (9% vs. 3% of those whose employer has provided none), suggesting that the gap in governance is closely tied to the broader gap in support. Which tasks do Canadian workers trust AI with? Mostly routine ones. Workers are comfortable handing paperwork and lookups to AI, but many draw the line at decisions that carry physical, financial, or safety risk. * Heavy industry workers trust AI most for looking up routine procedures, product specs, or how-to information (77%) and writing up reports, logs, or job paperwork (71%). * Nearly half (45%) of heavy industry workers don't trust AI at all with decisions that affect worker safety. * Construction workers are among the most willing to trust AI on high-stakes tasks, as long as they can review what it produces. Nearly two in three construction workers trust it to read technical drawings (64%) and interpret Canadian codes and standards (63%). * While 36% of construction workers trust AI on decisions that affect worker safety as long as they review it, none say they would trust it completely with those safety decisions. These findings suggest the next stage of AI adoption in Canada will depend on how well organizations keep people involved in the decisions AI touches, and whether their tools and rules are built for the work their teams actually do. Punchcard works with organizations to modernize outdated systems and build custom AI tools, with clear rules on where a person needs to make the call. Access Punchcard's The State of AI at Work in Canada Report here: www.punchcard.io/reports/state-of-ai-canada-heavy-industries/ About Punchcard Punchcard Systems is a Canadian digital innovation consultancy that helps organizations turn complex problems into purposeful, human-centred software solutions. Fog Computing World partner with over 150 clients across Canada and the U.S. to push the boundaries of what thoughtful technology can do for business, community, and society. Learn more at punchcard.io. Survey Methodology These are the findings of a survey conducted by Angus Reid Group on behalf of Punchcard from September 2-11, 2026 among a sample of n=1,100 working adults living in Canada who are employed full-time, part-time, or are self-employed/contractors, and are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The survey included a national sample of Canadian workers, with additional targeting of employees working in heavy industries, including manufacturing, construction, natural resources, electric power/utilities, automotive, and agriculture. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006120760/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage] |

CJF names John Wright as inaugural Distinguished Research Fellow. TORONTO, Aug. 27, 2026 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Canada Pulse Insights CEO John Wright as its inaugural Distinguished Research Fellow. Wright, one of Canada's most respected public opinion researchers, brings decades of experience to the CJF's ongoing research program. A former CJF board member, Wright has collaborated with the Foundation on past polling, analyzing news consumption habits, the impact of artificial intelligence on journalism and the role of news creators in the Canadian news ecosystem. In this new position, he will continue to guide the CJF's research efforts, helping the Foundation and its partners understand how Canadians engage with news and what that means for the future of journalism in Canada. "I'm deeply honoured by this appointment," says Wright. "Having worked with journalists throughout my career, I hold each of them in the highest regard for their vigilance and integrity in bringing unvarnished, fact-based insights to the public. Their role today has never been more important." Wright's prolific career began in 1989 at the Angus Reid Group, where he secured the first monthly media polling Agency of Record (AOR) role with Southam News. This led to media polling partnerships with CFRB (NewsTalk 1010) and CBC Newsworld, and following Angus Reid's acquisition by Ipsos, Wright led long-term AOR polling partnerships with CTV, The Globe and Mail, the National Post, Global News, and Report on Business Magazine. In addition to his client practice as Senior Vice President of Ipsos Public Affairs, he also established groundbreaking AOR relationships with CNN International, The Associated Press, McClatchy News, and Reuters International with the first ever regular monthly global polling AOR program. He also hosted a decade-long weekly radio talk show with journalists and stakeholders, Your Opinion Counts (NewsTalk 1010), and co-hosted BNN's Squeeze Play with Amanda Lang. Wright wrote Canada's first sector-defining polling Standards of Disclosure Requirements and was the first in Canada to popularize private-sector and PR/media-agency polling for public release. He also published the first textbook on the public affairs profession in Canada and, with Dr. Darrell Bricker, co-authored three best-selling books on Canadian opinions and trends. "John has long been instrumentally involved in shaping the CJF's growth," says Natalie Turvey, president and executive director of the CJF. "As a former CJF board member and lead researcher on its recent reports about media literacy in the age of AI, his expertise in distilling data into insightful, actionable reports is unparalleled. "We are thrilled to have him join us in this new role that will allow him to continue to produce robust research and reporting on the state of Canadian journalism today." With more than 2,500 polling releases to his name, Wright is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, the King Charles III Coronation Medal and the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD) with six Command Commendations. About The Canadian Journalism Foundation Established in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism. The foundation runs an annual awards and fellowship program featuring a gala at which news leaders, journalists and representatives of corporate Canada gather to celebrate outstanding journalistic achievement and the value of professional journalism. Through its monthly J-Talks, a public speakers series, the CJF facilitates dialogue among journalists, business leaders, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society and the ongoing challenges facing media in the digital era. The foundation also fosters opportunities for journalism education, training and research. SOURCE The Canadian Journalism Foundation