As Ottawa sets a goal for businesses to adopt AI in its federal strategy “AI for All,” small businesses are seeing the potential to improve productivity, but a lack of time, skills and resources is slowing their ability to put it to work, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. 

Google is seeking to help close that gap with new AI training scholarships and funding for small-business adoption programs, announced as the company marks 25 years in Canada. 

The company plans to offer 100,000 scholarships for AI training in partnership with the YMCA and provide more than $2.7 million to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to deliver AI adoption programs to over 10,000 small and medium-sized businesses. 

This comes as a part of Ottawa’s AI strategy which seeks to put 60 per cent of Canadian businesses on AI tools by 2034. 

“Whether it is helping small businesses adopt new technologies or giving more Canadians access to in-demand AI training, these partnerships will create opportunity, strengthen productivity, and help ensure the benefits of AI are shared across the country,” Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said in a statement. 

Canada ranks among the leading countries in conversational AI adoption, but almost 90 per cent of its use is for personal and household tasks, according to Google’s ATLAS study. 

A separate report commissioned by Google and prepared by consultancy Public First estimates generative AI could boost Canada’s economy by $230 billion and save the average worker nearly 22 working days a year. 

Marvin Cruz, senior director of research at Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, said SMEs are seeing AI’s potential, with one in four businesses surveyed planning to adopt it into their businesses at some point. 

CFIB’s recent research also found that about 21 per cent of small businesses were using AI to some extent. Only 28 per cent were neither using it nor considering using it this year, Cruz said. 

“They see the benefits in it, they’re just trying to figure out how to best implement it,” Cruz said in an interview with iPolitics. 

Owners need time to evaluate tools and identify applications that meet their businesses’ needs, Cruz said. Those without the expertise to implement AI themselves may also face higher costs for outside help or additional technology. 

The main hurdles, he said, remains finding the time, developing the skills and securing the resources needed to adopt the technology effectively, as well as finding the right solutions that meet businesses’ specific needs. 

“There is a lot of potential there, but again, it comes down to how they use it and how they make it work in their businesses,” Cruz said. 

Cruz said earlier CFIB research found business owners using generative AI reported spending an average of 0.97 hours a day using the technology and saving 2.05 hours, saving about an hour a day. 

CFIB’s research model also estimated that those savings could translate into a $12.8 billion economic boost, provided that the freed up time is redirected toward productive work, he said. 

While there’s optimism amongst business owners in AI adoption, Cruz said it’s still the “early days.” 

“There’s obviously a need to focus on the potential as well as the harms of it,” Cruz said.