Unlocking Ontario’s AI Advantage: Why Skills and Adoption Must Go Hand in Hand

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant promise, it’s here, and it is reshaping economies both in Canada and around the world. With the potential to contribute $187 billion annually to Canada’s GDP by 2030, AI represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to drive innovation, boost productivity and transformation across sectors. But realizing this potential depends on more than technological breakthroughs. It requires a timely, deliberate, and inclusive approach to adoption, one that ensures every business, and every worker has the tools and training to thrive in the AI economy.

With this potential in mind, Microsoft Canada worked together with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) to release Future-Proofing Ontario: Empowering Businesses with AI Skills, a new policy primer that outlines a thoughtful, bold, and practical roadmap to close Ontario’s AI adoption gap and build a future-ready workforce to support its business ecosystem.

This work couldn’t come at a more critical time. AI’s transformative potential is clear. According to a recent KPMG in Canada survey, six in 10 Canadian businesses report they are already using generative AI tools and two thirds of mid-size companies expect to see a return on their generative AI investments within the next three years. These numbers underscore the speed at which AI is transforming the workplace and the need for small and medium-sized enterprises to have access to the right skills, infrastructure, and support to fully participate in, and reap the opportunity of the AI economy.

At Microsoft, we believe AI should be a force that expands opportunity for everyone. Broad AI diffusion has the power to transform industries and uplift communities. To fully realize its economic potential, we must prioritize it, ensure fair access, and strengthen the ecosystems needed to drive growth at scale. These principles are at the heart of Microsoft’s approach to the AI economy.

Our approach is grounded in our experience supporting organizations across Canada.  From coast to coast to coast, organizations of all sizes are leveraging AI in remarkable ways.  From improving healthcare outcomes, enhancing education and preserving Indigenous languages, to strengthening environmental sustainability and combatting natural disasters, AI is a powerful tool that is helping Canadians bring meaningful impact and positive change across the country.

The OCC’s policy primer makes a compelling case for why skills are the bridge to adoption. It’s not enough to build powerful tools; we need to ensure that individuals, from students and teachers to business and community leaders, are provided with the AI skills and tools required to thrive in an AI-powered economy.

This is especially critical for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Ontario is home to nearly 500,000 small and medium businesses, the backbone of Ontario’s economy, driving innovation, job creation, investment, and competitiveness. Equipping business leaders with skills to strategically leverage AI is not just a matter of technological advancement but economic resilience and long-term prosperity. The primer calls for governments to lead by example in responsible AI use, for deeper collaboration across sectors to accelerate innovation, and for targeted, low-risk reskilling programs that meet SMBs where they are.  We are at a pivotal moment that demands urgent action. The OCC’s roadmap provides a clear path forward to position Ontario as a global leader in AI, one that will empower its workers, strengthen its businesses, and build a resilient economy for Ontario’s future.

At Microsoft, we’re already putting these ideas into action. Through collaboration with some of Canada’s leading organizations across sectors, we’re helping to skill Canadians in generative AI fluency. We’re also investing in the infrastructure and platforms that make AI accessible, secure, and scalable, from datacenters and developer tools to responsible AI frameworks that prioritize transparency, fairness, and accountability.

What’s needed now is a shared commitment to ensure that no one is left behind.

By fostering collaboration between government, academia, and industry, we can equip Canadians with the necessary skills to harness AI responsibly and accelerate AI diffusion across the country. This is a significant opportunity for Ontario, and for Canada as a whole, to lead in AI and drive inclusive economic growth.

The OCC makes one thing clear: we cannot unlock AI’s economic potential without investing in people. From foundational digital literacy to applied AI training and advanced development skills, workforce readiness is the linchpin of AI adoption.