The AI strategy gets one thing right, but we need to make it work for women
The reaction to the government's AI For All strategy has been largely positive, and the narrative consistent: Canada helped build the global artificial intelligence ecosystem. We invested early in research, established world-class institutions, and developed the talent that shaped the technology's evolution. Now we need to execute.
The AI for All strategy outlines an ambitious vision, but as the government looks to roll out legislation what remains unclear is whether we can capitalize on this moment to reimagine women’s participation across all levels of the workforce and the economic opportunities that the new “technological order” offers, rather than just prevent the further widening of the existing gender gaps that AI perpetuates.
Placing equal weight on talent and trust, the strategy recognizes a simple reality: we cannot talk about technology, productivity, or careers divorced from the people it will impact the most.
Who's being included, and who risks being left behind?
Women are mentioned only briefly throughout the strategy, primarily in the context of online harms and abuse. But the conversation cannot stop there. If Canada's AI strategy focuses solely on mitigating risks for women without creating pathways for participation, leadership, and economic opportunity, we risk reinforcing the very inequalities that prevail today.
Growclass and Angus Reid national research on AI adoption, literacy and workforce readiness last year reinforced that Canada's biggest AI adoption challenge is due to confidence and risk. While 42 per cent of Canadians reported using AI tools in their current role, only 33 per cent said they feel confident using AI effectively. Just 12 per cent reported receiving formal AI training, despite 68 per cent expressing interest in it if offered by their employer.
Amongst women, the confidence gap is particularly important. While the gender gap in AI adoption is often framed as a matter of interest or choice, evidence suggests otherwise. A Harvard Business Review study found that women are 22 per cent less likely than men to use generative AI tools. The primary drivers are fewer learning opportunities and concerns about workplace penalties, not inherent abilities or interest.
To succeed during this rapid and uncertain economic and technological shift, the lion's share of Canada's workforce must become central to the conversation. That means investing in practical education, trusted sovereign systems, evidence-based wraparound supports, and equitable pathways to apply and build with AI.
Canadians are willing to engage with AI, but the hesitations are fair
When people most at risk of being displaced by AI are not met where they are, lower adoption should not surprise us. Growclass found that 66 per cent of Canadians are concerned about the ethical implications of AI. Another 66 per cent worry about its impact on critical thinking, while 61 per cent express concerns about bias and trustworthiness in AI-generated outputs.
Without clear expectations around the baseline condition of privacy, transparency, accountability, anti-bias, and responsible use, many women and systematically excluded populations will remain hesitant to adopt AI, regardless of how powerful the technology becomes.
The onus cannot be put on individuals to identify and mitigate harmful outcomes. Instead, these risks must be systematically addressed and prevented through policy that centres women and intersectionality, as outlined in the six evidence-based recommendations for the ecosystem supporting women’s economic empowerment in Canada from Women in Communications and Technology and the Information and Communications Technology Council. That would build trust amongst women.
Finland, for example, ranks ninth in compute power and 10th in data centres, with roughly 13.75 per cent of our population. Canada ranks 23rd and 12th, respectively. Finland’s AI strategy also includes free basic education; women already make up nearly 40 per cent of its AI workforce, and the country has committed to UN women-centred equity goals in AI. Finland’s AI policies do not live in isolation, but are tied to parental leave, hiring practices, investment mandates, and ethical AI development.
To build the thriving economy we are striving for, in the execution phase, we must continuously ask: how do we ensure women play a transformative role in shaping the next phase of AI fluency so that policies allow us to create the reality we want to live 10 years from now?
Innovation put Canada on the map. Adoption will determine who benefits. Execution will determine whether this strategy becomes a turning point or another missed opportunity for a more ambitious and prosperous Canada.
Juanita Lee-Garcia is the chief operating officer of Growclass, an award-winning education company helping women and under-represented people build lucrative careers and businesses. Sarah Hashem is CEO of Women in Communications and Technology.
The Hill Times