While three-quarters (74 per cent) of Canadian employers believe artificial intelligence will solve their productivity problems, the same percentage (74 per cent) admitted they’ve underestimated the challenges of implementing new technologies such as AI, according to a new survey by KPMG in Canada.

The survey, which polled 250 business leaders across Canada, also found nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of respondents said their employees aren’t using new technologies effectively and 56 per cent said their organization lacks the internal resources and talent needed to implement and use technology effectively.

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“A lot of organizations are not necessarily seeing either the return on investment — if they’ve gone down that route with AI — or believing that it is something they really need to invest in and start to investigate,” says Lewis Curley, a partner in KPMG in Canada’s people and change practice, noting the organization fielded the survey to understand what’s holding business leaders back and what’s driving the lack of return on investment.

It also found the majority (89 per cent) of Canadian employers said they’re investing in upskilling employees, but more than half (53 per cent) said their organization doesn’t invest enough in employee training, workshops or continuous learning opportunities.

Employers may spend money on upskilling, buying courses and sending people to conferences, but it’s difficult to know whether they’re investing in the right way, says Curley. When it comes to AI, he’s having conversations with some employers about the gap in focusing on the skilling that’s required to double down on the innately human things. “Building that leadership capability, that you have trained people to be empathetic, but [also] building a level of critical thinking is hugely important.

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“An interesting perspective is what kind of skills are really needed to thrive in the world of AI in the future?” he adds, noting that, in addition to specific technology skills, there’s a broader range of skills required for the wider workforce.

The survey also found 88 per cent of respondents said they believe they need better processes in place to encourage their workers to use technologies, including case studies and incentives. In addition, 87 per cent said their organization could do a better job of creating a culture that encourages people to share ideas and take risks, fostering innovation and creativity.

The survey results create an opportunity for organizations that haven’t moved into the AI space yet or are at the early outset to think about how to get human resources at the table, says Curley. “Fundamentally, to realize the value and the ability to grow the organization, you need HR at the table. [Information technology] or business leaders alone are probably not going to realize the value we expect.”

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