Canadians Express Growing Concern About AI-Generated Content, Survey Shows

Nearly nine in ten Canadians express significant concern about AI-generated deceptive content online, with almost half encountering misleading or false information several times weekly, according to a new survey from the Canadian Journalism Foundation.

The national poll, conducted by Harris Poll Canada on October 21, found widespread anxiety across all age demographics regarding AI-generated misinformation in news content. Younger Canadians reported the most frequent exposure to fabricated content, highlighting a generational divide in misinformation experiences.

The proliferation of sophisticated AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Sora, alongside platforms such as Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, has dramatically accelerated the spread of hyper-realistic AI-generated images, videos, and text across digital platforms. The absence of standardized labeling requirements on social media has left users to independently discern authentic content from fabrications.

“Fake news” and clickbait were the most commonly encountered forms of misleading information, reported by 56 percent and 51 percent of respondents respectively. Deepfakes and altered images followed at 44 percent, while AI-manipulated content (43 percent) and political disinformation (40 percent) rounded out the major categories of concern.

Natalie Turvey, president and executive director of the Canadian Journalism Foundation, finds the statistics on deepfakes, altered images and political misinformation particularly alarming. “Several years ago, you wouldn’t have seen such high data points for AI-manipulated content,” Turvey noted. “They’re most concerning because they do amplify the risk of misleading news, they erode trust, they create polarization, and they can impair informed decision making.”

The findings align with previous research on Canadians’ concerns about online misinformation. A 2023 Statistics Canada survey found nearly 60 percent of Canadians reported very high or extreme concern about online misinformation, while an August poll by the non-profit OpenMedia revealed that 89 percent worry about AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes.

Age demographics show distinct patterns in misinformation recognition. Canadians aged 18-34 reported the highest ability to identify “fake news” (57 percent), while those 61 and older were least likely to report encountering misleading content (39 percent).

The survey also revealed a significant trust gap between traditional and social media platforms. Approximately 75 percent of respondents expressed some trust in news from traditional Canadian news outlets, with 31 percent indicating complete trust. In stark contrast, only 27 percent expressed trust in information from social media platforms.

Despite this trust disparity, Canadians increasingly obtain news through social media. A study from McGill University’s Media Ecosystem Observatory found that three-quarters of Canadians remained unaware of Meta’s news block on Facebook a year after its implementation in 2023.

Fenwick McKelvey, an associate professor specializing in information and communication technology policy at Concordia University, notes that the survey results reflect Canadians’ general distrust of AI, despite the country’s leadership in AI research.

“This is something that should be a flag because Canada has purportedly claimed to really invest in AI. So how can we make massive public investments in AI and have widespread public skepticism? One of those two things can’t hold,” McKelvey said.

He advocates for greater platform accountability regarding online advertising, which often prioritizes engagement over accuracy. “I think it’s long overdue that we have some accountability on online advertising. What’s fuelling this is the way of monetizing AI slop and the fact that it’s profitable to make junk content online,” he added.

Survey respondents believe responsibility for addressing manipulated content should be shared among the federal government (60 percent), individual Canadians (55 percent), social platforms, and internet providers.

Turvey finds encouragement in Canadians’ willingness to take personal responsibility for combating misinformation. “It’s an agency mindset that Canadians are showing responsibility, that they know that governments and platforms aren’t going to solve this,” she said. She also expressed optimism about Gen Z’s reported ability to identify manipulated content, noting, “They are part of our digital future, and it’s really important that they have those discernment skills.”