TELUS study finds Canadians and Americans demand safer AI

A cross-border study published by TELUS has revealed a strong public appetite in Canada and the United States for more robust governance, clearer explanations, and increased consumer involvement regarding corporate AI deployment.

The report, titled AI Trust Atlas: Public perspectives on bridging the AI trust gap, synthesised survey responses from more than 11,000 participants across both nations. The findings highlight a dual trend: while the adoption of AI tools is becoming widespread, it is being met with escalating expectations for transparency, safety reviews, and corporate accountability.

TELUS said 85% of Canadian respondents and 89% of American respondents reported using AI. The company said the high level of usage signalled growing familiarity with the technology and greater scrutiny of how organisations design and roll out AI systems.

The research also highlighted the importance of reaching groups that have faced barriers to participation in technology development and decision-making. TELUS said it gave special attention to historically underrepresented communities and used boosted samples across several groups.

Safety checks

Survey results suggested a strong preference for pre-release safeguards. TELUS said 76% of Canadians and 77% of Americans indicated they would trust companies more if organisations reviewed AI systems for potential harms before launching new tools.

Respondents also called for clearer communication. According to TELUS, 73% of Canadians and 74% of Americans wanted companies to explain their use of AI in straightforward, easy-to-understand terms. Customer engagement emerged as another recurring theme; the data revealed that 69% of Canadians and 72% of Americans wanted organisations to actively seek and listen to customer input before deploying AI technologies.

"What our research shows is that technology companies can't do this alone: people want to be included in the development of AI and want to see safety, respect and transparency built into the technology," said Pam Snively, Chief Data & Trust Officer, TELUS.

Regulatory demand

The study also pointed to near-universal support for formal oversight. TELUS said 90% of respondents in both Canada and the United States believed AI should be regulated, with clear expectations for accountability and oversight.

The company framed this as a call for governance frameworks that set rules for AI use and provide mechanisms to scrutinise outcomes. The findings land as governments in North America and elsewhere weigh how to regulate fast-moving AI systems and their use in consumer and business settings.

TELUS said respondents linked trust to concrete actions that shape day-to-day interactions with AI systems. That included the language companies use when they describe AI features, as well as the practical experiences people have when they use AI-enabled products and services.

"Trust is earned with every interaction, from the way that an organization talks about AI to how people actually engage with it," said Snively.

Recommendations

The report set out a series of recommendations aimed at government, industry and academia. It called for stronger AI literacy through education programmes focused on understanding AI and safe use. It also urged organisations to embed diverse perspectives throughout AI development, from early design through to deployment.

TELUS also recommended clearer explanations and human oversight for critical AI decisions. It pointed to cross-sector collaboration on ethical standards as another component of stronger public confidence, alongside approaches that keep people safe while encouraging innovation.

Research design

TELUS stated that Leger conducted the survey via online panels between 2 and 28 September 2025. The fieldwork covered 5,487 Canadians and 6,109 Americans. The study included boosted samples for groups described by TELUS as underrepresented; these cohorts included Indigenous Peoples, Black women, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, people with disabilities, those on low incomes, seniors, and recent immigrants. TELUS noted that it commissioned the research as part of its third annual public accountability exercise regarding the responsible deployment of AI.

TELUS AI work

TELUS also referenced recent AI-related milestones and external benchmarks. It said it opened what it described as Canada's first Sovereign AI Factory in September 2025. The company described it as a secure and scalable AI compute facility.

It said the TELUS AI Factory later appeared on the TOP500 list and ranked 78th among the world's 500 most powerful computing systems. TELUS also said its generative AI customer support tool received an international certification in Privacy by Design under ISO 31700-1.

TELUS said it signed a voluntary AI code of conduct introduced by the Canadian federal government. It also referenced participation in international forums, including UN AI for Good panels and the NIST U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium.

"TELUS has been building AI responsibly from the start. Driven by principles such as accountability, respect and fairness, safety and robustness, and transparency, we have been taking action to connect with our stakeholders, share clear and easy to understand updates on our work, and advocate for human-centric and beneficial data use and AI," said Snively.