I recently stumbled upon an interesting headline:
“New poll shows number of Canadians with negative views on AI increasing.”
My first reaction was: Really?
After all, I use AI almost every day. I write with it, research with it, troubleshoot computer problems with it, and sometimes simply discuss ideas with my AI companion.
So I looked beyond the headline.
The numbers are interesting.
Canadians are becoming more cautious
A Research Co. poll conducted in September 2026 found that 60% of Canadians now consider AI a threat to humanity, up from 50% in a similar poll last year.
More than half—51%—said they would like to slow down AI development, while 18% said AI development should be abandoned altogether.
Canadians are also worried about very practical issues: AI taking over jobs, students becoming less intelligent, deepfakes, identity theft, misinformation, and the enormous energy requirements of AI data centres.
Perhaps most importantly, trust is becoming a problem.
About 80% of respondents said they are having more difficulty trusting images online because they may have been generated by AI. Many also said they are finding it harder to trust information because it might have been produced by AI rather than verified reporting.
These are legitimate concerns.
But here is the interesting contradiction
Canadians are becoming more worried about AI while continuing to use it.
The same Research Co. poll found that 59% of Canadians had used or relied on AI during the previous month.
So perhaps the real Canadian attitude isn't simply:
“We don't like AI.”
It may be:
“We are using AI, but we're not completely sure where this is going.”
I understand that feeling.
My own experience
I am an 80+ learner who uses AI regularly.
My experience has taught me something simple:
AI is useful, but AI is not automatically trustworthy.
Sometimes it gives me an excellent answer.
Sometimes it gives me an answer that sounds excellent but still needs checking.
That's why I don't want AI to replace my thinking. I want it to extend my thinking.
Instead of asking:
“AI, give me the answer.”
I can ask:
“Explain this to me.”
Or:
“What am I missing?”
Or:
“Challenge my thinking.”
That is a much healthier relationship with AI.
Especially for seniors
This is one reason I continue writing AI123.ca.
Some older people may look at AI and think:
“This is for young people. I don't need it.”
I understand. I wasn't born into the digital world either.
But you don't have to become a technology expert to benefit from AI.
Start with one question.
Ask AI to explain something you don't understand. Then ask another question.
That's how learning begins.
At the same time, don't surrender your judgment to the machine.
Your experience still matters.
After 80 years of living, I have accumulated memories, relationships, mistakes, successes and stories. AI has enormous amounts of information, but it hasn't lived my life.
My candid conclusion
The Canadian poll doesn't make me want to stop using AI.
It makes me want to use it more carefully.
The concerns about jobs, privacy, deepfakes, misinformation, education and trust deserve serious attention.
But AI is already part of our lives.
So perhaps the better question isn't:
“Will AI become part of our lives?”
It already has.
The bigger question is:
“How do we live with AI without giving up our own judgment?”
That is what I want to keep exploring here at AI123.ca.
I am 80+.
I am still learning.
And I have no intention of handing my brain over to a machine simply because the machine can type faster than I can.
AI can be my assistant, my teacher and my research partner.
But I still want to be the one sitting in the driver's seat.
— David Au
AI123.ca — Exploring → Learning → Documenting
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