As AI data centres become all the rage for mega tech corporations like Meta and Telus, it doesn’t seem to correlate with how the public feels, as support of AI at large is decreasing, at least here in B.C.
A recent survey from SFU took the pulse of B.C. residents regarding AI, and it found that overwhelmingly, people in B.C. are becoming more aware of the technology but also more wary of it.
Residents also expect the B.C. government to play a central role in regulating the technology.
The point of the survey was to see how sentiments around AI have changed since 2024, and the change is quite notable.
AI awareness is growing in B.C.
@no.ai.vancouver/Instagram
Since 2024, AI awareness among residents has increased dramatically.
According to the survey, 54 per cent of British Columbians (up 17 points since 2024) have either heard or read a great deal about AI.
AI usage is also growing among British Columbians. More than six-in-ten people now say they’ve used AI in some form, which marks a nine-point increase compared to 2024.
A growing group of Vancouver residents are also concerned about AI. In the aftermath of Telus and the City of Vancouver announcing plans to build an AI data centre in Vancouver, folks have hit the streets in two large protests in the past few weeks.
Key AI concerns from B.C. residents
Seventy-nine per cent of people who responded to the survey said they are more concerned than excited about the technology, a seven-point jump compared to 2024.
Eighty-six per cent (+6) of respondents are worried that AI technology will just make people more disconnected from society. An additional 85 per cent are concerned about losing the “human touch.”
Many B.C. residents feel distrustful of the technology, with 75 per cent (+5) saying they don’t trust it to avoid discrimination or show bias toward certain groups.
“Sixty-five per cent of respondents believe the potential risks outweigh the potential benefits of AI, compared to 56 per cent in 2024,” the survey found.
“The national conversation around artificial intelligence often assumes that low public trust of the technology stems from a lack of familiarity with it,” said Fergus Linley-Mota, director of the Dialogue on Technology Project, in a release.
“Our research turns this on its head. As British Columbians become more aware of AI and increase their use of it, they’re actually becoming more wary of its effects on society,” Linley-Mota said.
“Literacy programs won’t solve AI’s trust problem on their own – people need to feel that they can be protected from the unsafe design of these systems.”
The findings weren’t all negative.
Fifty-two per cent of respondents said they believe that AI has a positive impact on the time it takes to get things done.
“On the other hand,” SFU starts, “a growing majority of people in the province (77 per cent, up 5 percentage points) think AI’s current impact on people keeping their information private is more negative than positive.”
The five biggest concerns
SFU’s survey found that five key concerns stick out among the rest:
- Deepfakes used for political disinformation (91 per cent say it’s a concern)
- Unregulated use of personal information to train AI models (89 per cent)
- Governments using AI to make critical decisions (83 per cent)
- Jobs being lost in place of AI for greater efficiencies (81 per cent)
- Use of AI systems to replace medical professionals (75 per cent)
Many are also concerned about the environmental impact of AI due to the amount of energy it consumes.
How are governments handling AI regulation?
B.C. residents who responded to the survey are firm in their beliefs that it’s the government’s job to regulate companies that are developing AI to ensure it is accurate and not harmful. A majority (52 per cent) hold this view, about the same number as in 2024.
However, AI regulation is significantly lacking not just in this province, but across Canada.
“It is critical that government of all levels engage with the public around AI’s use and effects, and focus energy and resources on rebuilding institutional trust,” Linley-Mota added.
City of Vancouver officials like Councillor Lucy Maloney are also trying to push back against AI data centres.
“Hyperscale data centres bring new risks, and need thorough evaluation,” said Maloney, in a release sent to Daily Hive. “As often occurs with major technology advances, current regulations simply haven’t caught up to the task — so we must strengthen them.”
Earlier this year, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) said that Canada has NO meaningful AI regulation.
“While AI technologies are evolving at a rapid rate, policymakers must adopt a more holistic approach for assessing AI use and its impacts. To that end, the federal government should create a complaint mechanism for AI-related harms, perhaps through an AI federal ombudsperson or through collaborating with the Canadian Human Rights Commission,” the CCPA states.
“It is imperative to prioritise diligent and collaborative efforts to create and implement AI policies and regulations that centre human rights,” it added.
You can find the full survey on the SFU website.
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