Canadian leaders trust their AI more than they can track it

In most Canadian organizations, some of the tools people use every day are running outside anything the technology team formally signed off on. 

A Deloitte Canada survey released today found that 64% of senior leaders estimate that at least 11% of AI activity runs outside approved or governed tools. The same leaders are confident in the systems they do control, 95% in their compliance and 94% in their internally built tools.

It’s not a comfortable spot for the person carrying that accountability. The survey of 300 senior leaders, most at organizations above $100 million in revenue, treats visibility as the problem that shows up once basic trust in the technology is settled. Governing a tool, measuring what it returns, or defending it to a regulator all assume you know it’s there in the first place.

“What stands out is that trust itself isn’t really the issue anymore,” says Nihar Dalmia, partner in AI and data at Deloitte Canada. “The bigger challenge is visibility and control. The conversation is shifting from ‘Can we trust AI?’ to ‘How do we ensure accountability at scale without slowing innovation?’ As use continues to expand, organizations will need to strengthen how they track, govern, and understand AI activity across the enterprise.”

There’s a related question about whether firms are measuring AI’s real payoff or just the easy wins. CGI’s 2026 client research found 61% of Canadian organizations say they’re quantifying results from AI, though quantifying a number and booking a return are different things. Only 38% reported a company-wide AI strategy to tie those results to, a sign the tools went into production ahead of the plan to run them. 

You can’t put a number on AI you didn’t know was running.

The control question also has a Canadian edge, with 96% saying it matters that AI is developed, hosted, and governed under Canadian laws. 

A confident compliance number is easy to take to the board. The AI running where nobody can see it is the question waiting behind it.

Final Shots

• 95% of leaders are confident in their AI compliance and 94% in their internally built systems.
• 64% estimate that at least 11% of AI activity runs outside approved or governed tools.
• 96% say it matters that AI is developed, hosted, and governed under Canadian laws.