Survey shows Canadians bracing for AI job disruption, driverless vehicles, economic uncertainty

A new national survey suggests that Canadians anticipate significant changes in technology, the economy, and global politics over the next five years — though the poll shows there is a distinct generational gap as opinions vary widely by age and political affiliation.The study, conducted by Abacus Data, which polled 1,686 Canadians from Jul. 31 to Aug.7, 2025, found that there was skepticism about rapid adoption of driverless automobiles and pilotless planes.Nationally, only 15% of respondents expect most trucks to be driverless within five years, and just 12% predict passenger planes will operate without pilots.Gen Z Canadians are slightly more optimistic than their Boomer counterparts, with roughly 23% believing such technologies will become commonplace..Artificial intelligence and its potential to reshape the workforce and job market also loom large in the minds of Canadians.One-third of Canadians say they expect white-collar job displacement due to AI to be highly likely, with another 44% of Gen Z saying it’s “probable.”Conservative respondents were slightly more likely — 38% compared to Liberals at 30% — to anticipate job disruption, possibly due to being more inclined to see “competitive pressure and automation as unavoidable.”“There’s always that chasm of the unknown, and people always tend to fill those gaps with the worst scenarios,” Brad Parry, President and CEO of Calgary Economic Development (CED), told the Western Standard when discussing the effects of AI.“I understand the fear; it is well-founded for those who aren’t quite sure about it, but we’re certainly not at the Terminator stage, where these sentient beings will start to take over everything that we’re doing.“My view is that [the AI revolution] is progress, this is evolution.”.New survey shows 70% of Canadians think AI will take their jobs .The survey also touched on concerns over geopolitical risks, with one-in-four Canadians worrying that the United States may no longer be a democracy within five years, while around 22% anticipate a potential China-Taiwan conflict.Liberal supporters and younger Canadians were generally more concerned about these scenarios than older or conservative respondents.Political affiliations shape “the lens through which people view geopolitical and economic risks,” David Coletto, founder, chair, and CEO of Abacus Data, said.“Liberal voters are more likely to see threats to democracy in the U.S., anticipate climate-related disruptions, and expect NATO involvement in conflict. Conservative voters are more inclined to foresee a deep recession, more convinced about AI-driven job losses, and less likely to believe U.S. democracy will fail.”.Abacus poll finds Conservatives have largest lead over Liberals since 2015.Economic risks were shown to be another area of concern.Over a third of Canadians expect a recession deeper than the 2008–09 financial crisis, while only 13% foresee a 20% or greater drop in housing prices.Gen Z respondents were notably more pessimistic than Boomers regarding both economic and housing instability.Environmental issues were also touched upon, as about one in four Canadians believe a major Canadian city will face a “once-in-a-century” flood within the next five years, and over a third expect insurers to stop issuing new home policies in flood-prone areas.On insurance market impacts, 37% expect major insurers to stop writing new home insurance in “high-risk flood zones.”Boomers were above average at 39%, while again the partisan divide was notable, with Liberals in the lead at 41%, possibly because they “appear more convinced that climate-related market changes will arrive quickly.”Coletto concluded by saying the future will not “unfold exactly as any group expects, but the way Canadians imagine it today will shape how they prepare, respond, and adapt.”“For leaders in business, government, and advocacy, understanding these expectations and planning for what happens if they’re wrong is essential to anticipating both market shifts and political currents. As the summer wears on, it’s the economy, not foreign affairs, that could add more complexity to the political climate heading into fall.”