It’s Time to Get More Serious about AI!

Part 1 of a 3-part series

Over the last two years, I have spent a lot of time engaging with a cross-section of stakeholders across the North American AI ecosystem. In this three-part blog, I share my latest thoughts on the future of AI in marketing based on a CMA panel discussion. Let’s filter all the hype and look at the following strategically.

Part 1: The AI Train is Coming

AI is a transformative technology that is poised to change companies and industries. There is an abundance of AI tools, and the technology is improving every day. Some executives believe it is the next industrial revolution and AI leaders in the US are investing significant capital into AI capabilities and technology. At the recent “All-in” industry conference, U.S. President Trump announced his desire for a “AI action plan” and said it is “imperative that the United States and its allies win this race”^[1]. It’s game time for Canada. We have the talent and an opportunity to succeed in this race and be among the top AI allies in the world.

From a marketing perspective, leaders like Raja Rajamannar, the CMO of Mastercard, believe that AI is part of a bigger chain of events called the “era of disruption”. Over the past 10 years, there have been multiple innovations in big data, cloud computing, computing processing and AI have brought cumulative benefits. AI is the tipping point. The computing power is here, more data centers are being built, and universities are ramping up to produce a new wave of graduates with AI and data skills.

Generative AI (GenAI) can drive significant efficiency gains and create competitive advantage through better CX. Research has shown that GenAI is a productivity booster and a major time-saver in professional services companies. An IBM whitepaper states that the top three benefits are: significant progress in optimizing production, improved creative risk taking, and improved flexibility of assets. According to a global IBM study, 95% of retail leaders believe that GenAI will be a global game changer^[2].

But is Canada Ready?

The good news is that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ranked Canada among the top 5 countries for AI Preparedness^[3]. Fortunately, Canada has a partner ecosystem. “Canada is home to over 1,500 firms specializing in AI, as well as 20 public AI research labs, 75 AI incubators and accelerators, and 60 groups of AI investors from across the country”^[4]. Public/private partnerships can be a strategic pathway.

However, according to Statistics Canada, only 12% of Canadian businesses have adopted AI. In a Q2 2025 government survey, more than 41% of Canadian businesses said that AI was not relevant to them and a further 17% said AI was not important to them.^[5]. It’s important to recognize that this adoption rate is skewed downward because more than 57% of Canadian businesses are classified as microbusinesses (with less than 4 employees) and they are typically NOT ready for AI. A more nominalized AI adoption rate for Canadian businesses in 2025 is probably around 20%.

Large and medium-sized companies are embracing AI at a higher rate because they can see the strategic benefits and recognize its wide range of potential use cases. As seen in the table below, a few key industries such as Professional Services Technology, Information & Communication Technology, and Finance & Insurance, reached adoption rates of more than 30% in Q2 2025.



The marketing sector is moving faster. Research from the CMA indicates that 74% of the marketing profession uses AI on a weekly basis – considerably higher than the 40% usage rate reported in professional services.