Future-Proofing Ontario: Seizing AI’s Economic Potential

(TORONTO – June 25, 2025) – Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming global economies, with the potential to add $187 billion annually to the Canadian economy by 2030. Yet, despite this promise, Ontario businesses and workers’ slow AI adoption risks undermining Canada’s competitiveness.

To address this gap, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), in collaboration with Microsoft Canada, has released Future-Proofing Ontario: Empowering Businesses with AI Skills — a policy primer that explores AI’s economic potential, identifies barriers to adoption, and presents scalable initiatives to build an AI-fluent workforce and business ecosystem.

Although AI holds immense promise for driving productivity and innovation, its adoption remains low: only six per cent of Canadian businesses report using AI tools, and just 31 per cent of Canadians trust generative AI. The primer calls for urgent, sustained action to equip Ontario’s workforce with the skills and confidence needed to responsibly harness AI and unleash inclusive economic growth.

“AI could unlock billions of dollars in economic value for Ontario, but only if we make it accessible to all businesses and equip our workforce with job-ready AI skills,” said Daniel Tisch, President and CEO of the OCC. “This is a pivotal moment. Public and private sector leaders must act together to close the AI adoption gap – and future-proof Ontario’s economy.”

Key recommendations include:

• Lead by Example: Governments must model responsible, transparent AI use to build public trust, implement service delivery and set the tone for industry adoption.
• All Hands-on-Tech: Deepen collaboration across government, academia, and industry to accelerate innovation and skills development.
• Start Small, Win Big: Invest in accessible, low-risk, and high-impact reskilling programs tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Smart Incentives, Smarter Businesses: Draw on best practices from global leaders such as Singapore to support digital transformation for SMEs.
• From Sandbox to Spotlight: Expand successful pilot projects into province-wide programs for long-term, sustainable growth.

“By fostering collaboration between government, academia, and industry, we can equip Canadians with the necessary skills to harness AI responsibly and accelerate AI adoption and innovation across the country,” said John Weigelt, National Technology Officer, Microsoft Canada. “This is a significant opportunity for Ontario, and Canada as a whole, to lead in AI and drive inclusive economic growth.”

The OCC extends special thanks to Microsoft Canada for their collaboration and contributions.

Read Future-Proofing Ontario: Empowering Businesses with AI Skills here.

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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is the indispensable partner of business and Canada’s largest, most influential provincial chamber. It is an independent, non-profit advocacy and member services organization representing a diverse network of 60,000 members. The OCC convenes, mobilizes, and empowers business and local chambers in pursuit of its purpose: to bring inclusive and sustainable prosperity to Ontario’s businesses, workers, and communities.

For more information, please contact:
Andrea Carmona
Senior Manager of Public Affairs
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
andreacarmona@occ.ca | Mobile: (647) 234-0255