That gap is documented in Randstad’s 2026 Work Monitor, which surveyed more than 27,000 workers and 1,225 employers across 35 markets including Canada, and found that 98 per cent of Canadian employers are confident of growing in the next year, yet only 49 per cent of Canadian workers share that optimism. Nearly half of Canadian office workers – 46 per cent – believe AI adoption is designed mainly to benefit companies, not them.

The AI reality gap

The disconnect between organizational confidence and employee experience points to what Dul calls an AI reality gap. Globally, 62 per cent of workers acknowledge AI’s positive impact on their productivity, according to Randstad’s report. In Canada, that…