How confident do you feel about your understanding of artificial intelligence?
A new survey conducted for TD found that most Canadians would rate themselves as far from top of the class when it comes to using new AI knowledge and proficiency survey.
Out of the 2,500 adults polled, nearly eighty percent graded themselves C or lower on their AI knowhow.
One in every five actually admitted to an F, with eighteen percent coming in at what teachers would call a D.
Sitting in the middle, a solid forty percent gave themselves a C, while just three percent felt bold enough to claim an A.
Even with more exposure everywhere you look, people across the country seem uncertain about how deeply they grasp AI’s potential and practical use.
Luke Gee, Chief Analytics and AI Officer at TD Bank Group, called attention to this growing confidence gap, explaining, “It’s completely understandable that in such a rapidly growing field, there’s a confidence gap.”
He added that he sees room for leaders like TD to step in and help Canadians navigate their AI journeys.
Generational Differences in AI Awareness
When participants tried their hands at ten knowledge questions about AI, older generations unexpectedly outperformed their younger peers.
Gen X and millennials statistically tied for the top, each with over forty percent correctly answering eight or more questions.
Boomers also beat expectations, landing ahead of Gen Z, with thirty six percent outpacing Gen Z’s thirty two percent.
Despite this, younger adults, especially members of Gen Z and millennials, were much more likely to say they feel comfortable with AI and its everyday uses.
A majority of Gen Z respondents, in fact, believed they knew the field well, even though their test scores told a less confident story.
Survey data revealed that while most Canadians surveyed, nearly eighty seven percent, are comfortable with tech in general, comfort with AI specifically still has a long way to go.
Familiarity falls sharply when people move from broader digital technology to AI itself, with forty percent reporting they have little or no practical experience using it.
Of those less familiar, many are from Gen X or boomer age groups, in spite of surprisingly strong test performances.
Building trust remains a central focus for organizations adopting artificial intelligence.
Gee emphasized this vision, saying, “Improving the customer experience, including by using AI, is our North star.”
According to the TD study analysis, closing this knowledge and confidence gap will require not just smarter technology, but clearer communication and generational gap in business AI use between service providers and the wider public.
