Nearly nine out of ten Canadian organizations have adopted generative AI tools, making it the top IT spending priority for 2025, according to a new report by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Access Partnership. But while interest is high, a lack of skilled professionals is slowing the move from pilot projects to full-scale deployment.<\/p>\n
The report, based on a survey of 424 IT decision-makers in Canada, shows 42% of organizations now rank generative AI as their top budget focus\u2014surpassing even security tools, which came in at 34%. Most organizations have already started experimenting: 85% ran AI experiments in 2024, but only 39% of those are expected to reach production this year.<\/p>\n
“Generative AI and security tools are emerging as the primary focus areas in organizations’ 2025 IT budgets,” the report notes.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest barriers is the talent gap. Just over two-thirds (68%) of organizations plan to train existing employees in AI skills, and 87% plan to hire new staff with generative AI experience. Still, limited budgets, unclear training needs, and implementation challenges are slowing progress. Only 50% of organizations have a formal training plan in place today.<\/p>\n
To address the leadership and strategy needed for AI transformation, 52% of organizations have already appointed a Chief AI Officer (CAIO), and another 23% plan to do so by 2026. Meanwhile, most organizations are taking a hybrid approach to deploying generative AI tools\u2014combining internal capabilities with third-party vendors. Just 21% plan to build in-house models from scratch, while 71% will rely at least partially on external providers.<\/p>\n
The study suggests that Canadian organizations are embracing AI quickly, but translating enthusiasm into enterprise value will require more than investment\u2014it will take leadership, strategy, and skills development at scale.<\/p>\n