Will AI Trigger the Next Political Revolution?

Initial data suggests it's something we should watch carefully

A few months ago, Abacus Data asked Canadians whether they believed “unleashing the full potential of artificial intelligence” would be good for them. Just 17% said yes. Thirty percent said it would be bad. The rest were either unsure or predicted it wouldn’t make a difference.

Those numbers surprised me and they should be a wake-up call to policymakers.

Governments, including the Carney-led Liberals, are charging ahead with AI strategies, investment plans, and regulatory frameworks. Their goal: harness AI’s promise to drive innovation, productivity, efficiency, and global competitiveness. But outside Ottawa, public sentiment is far more cautious, if not outright skeptical.

This gap between elite enthusiasm and public anxiety is dangerous. It risks creating a political backlash that could rival past populist uprisings, especially if the human cost of AI is downplayed or dismissed.

Let’s dig into the data

In a national survey of 3,000 Canadians we conducted this February, we found that only 12% feel very familiar with AI and its implications. Another 45% say they are “somewhat familiar.” But 43% admit they are largely unfamiliar with it. And yet, decisions about AI’s role in our economy, education system, and social fabric are moving at warp speed.