Navigating Canada’s AI Future: Careers and the Call for a Human-Centred Response

-By Sharon Graham, founder and chair of Career Professionals of Canada. – 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the global job market, and Canada stands at a pivotal crossroads. While we’ve made significant strides in AI research and talent development, the challenge now lies in effectively preparing our workforce for the changes ahead.

In a recent Axios interview, Dario Amodei, CEO of the AI company Anthropic, warned that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years, potentially leading to unemployment rates of 10 to 20%. This stark prediction underscores the urgent need for career professionals across Canada to prepare for significant workforce transformations.

As career professionals, we are no strangers to change. We have a crucial role to play, and we cannot afford to look away. The moment for meaningful, values-based client support is now. By fostering adaptability, promoting ethical practices, and emphasizing human-centric skills, we can help shape a future where AI enhances rather than displaces human potential.

The Canadian Context: Navigating AI’s Impact

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace is accelerating, reshaping how Canadian businesses operate. A 2023 survey by KPMG in Canada revealed that 37% of companies are already using ChatGPT regularly to enhance efficiency and streamline tasks. This growing trend offers a strong indication of what’s ahead. AI tools are moving from novelty to necessity. As adoption continues to expand, this shift signals a future where AI will be a key part of everyday business operations across industries.

Canada has long been a global leader in AI research, with Toronto, Montreal, and Edmonton emerging as hotbeds of innovation. However, the rapid advancement of AI technologies poses challenges, particularly for entry-level positions. From finance and legal services to marketing and administration, once-reliable roles are being reshaped or replaced by artificial intelligence.

In a country where many of our newcomers bring credentials, experience, and ambition, but often start in entry-level jobs, the potential disruption from AI is especially concerning. We risk sidelining not just roles, but people, unless we act thoughtfully and with urgency.

The federal government is investing $2.4 billion in AI strategy, which includes the recent creation of the Canadian AI Safety Institute. But while our scientists and entrepreneurs are focused on advancing technology, we must ensure that workers, especially young professionals and immigrants entering the workforce, aren’t left behind.

What Career Professionals Must Do Now

• Lead with Purposeful Awareness: This is a moment to lead—not with fear, but with clarity. We must understand and explain the realities of AI to our clients. We don’t need to be technologists, but we do need to be fluent in what’s changing, why it matters, and how it will affect different industries. Stay informed, share resources, and bring these conversations into every career coaching space.
• Champion Human-Centric Competencies: As AI excels in pattern recognition and data manipulation, we must remind ourselves and our clients of what machines can’t do: care, relate, inspire, lead, imagine. Emotional intelligence, creativity, adaptability, storytelling, ethics, and collaboration are our enduring strengths. These are the skills employers still need and value. Let’s encourage clients to cultivate these human dimensions with intention. Workshops, reflective writing, peer learning, volunteerism, and mentorship are all powerful tools for strengthening the skills that matter most in this new era.
• Support Skills-Based Career Paths: In a disrupted job market, the degree someone earned 20 years ago—or the one they never had the chance to pursue—shouldn’t define their future. Career professionals must help shift the narrative towards skills-based hiring. Every client—regardless of background—should be encouraged to stay curious, build resilience, and explore new learning pathways. Canadian resources, such as Future Skills Centre and Upskill Canada, are opening new doors. Let’s help our clients walk through them with confidence.
• Model Inclusion and Advocacy: As we reimagine work, we must do so with equity at the centre. Racialized communities, Indigenous peoples, women, persons with disabilities, and newcomers often bear the brunt of economic disruption. Our response must be inclusive. Advocate for fair hiring, accessible training, and supportive workplace cultures. Diversity and inclusion aren’t side projects—they’re the foundation of a better future.

Bringing It All Together

AI is already reshaping our world. But it’s how we respond—as career professionals, community leaders, and Canadians—that will define our future.

The integration of AI into the workforce presents both challenges and opportunities. By proactively adapting and guiding others to do the same, Career professionals can ensure resilience and relevance in this new era.

We have an opportunity to model thoughtful, kind, and strategic leadership. Let’s foster a culture where career development embraces innovation but holds fast to human dignity. Let’s be voices of hope, guides for growth, and advocates for those who need our support the most.

In this time of uncertainty, let us lean into our values, together, with purposeful kindness.