- According to the Institut de la statistique du Québec (2025), 12.7% of Quebec businesses were using AI for production purposes, compared to 26.1% for those with 100 or more employees.
- According to Statistics Canada (2026), 19.2% of Canadian businesses were using AI in the second quarter of 2026, three times more than in 2024.
- The federal strategy AI for All (2026) targets 60% adoption by 2034, supported by the $500 million LIFT program for SMEs.
- PlanAxion structures the selection of an initial use case in 4 weeks through its AI workshop, using a four-question filter: problem, value, data, and effort.
This topic has come up at every management meeting for months. An Ontario competitor is showing gains from AI, your banker is talking to you about it, and no one around the table has reliable figures to benchmark Quebec businesses.
These figures exist. They are a bit unsettling.
In Quebec, 12.7% of businesses were using AI for production purposes in the second quarter of 2025, according to the Institut de la statistique du Québec (2025). In Canada, that proportion reached 19.2% a year later, according to Statistics Canada (2026).
Where does AI adoption stand in Quebec in 2026?
The most recent Quebec data puts AI adoption in the province at 12.7% of businesses, with a growth of 3.3 percentage points in one year, compared to 7.8 points in Ontario, according to the Institut de la statistique du Québec (2025). Intentions follow the same trend: 13.1% anticipated adoption in Quebec, compared to 16.5% in Ontario.
Meanwhile, the Canadian average has continued to climb. In the second quarter of 2026, 19.2% of Canadian businesses were using AI to produce goods or provide services, three times more than in 2024, according to Statistics Canada (2026). We have broken down these figures in our article on business AI adoption in Canada.
A methodological note: the Quebec snapshot covers the 12 months preceding the second quarter of 2025, and its 2026 equivalent has not yet been published. The comparison provides a direction, not a gap accurate to the tenth of a percentage point.
Why is the gap widening between large and small businesses?
Because the fixed cost of a serious implementation is difficult to absorb on a small scale: in Quebec, 26.1% of businesses with 100 or more employees use AI, compared to 12.2% of those with 1 to 4 employees, according to the ISQ (2025). On a national level, the federal strategy estimates SME adoption at approximately 8%, far behind the Nordic countries (29% to 42%), Germany (26%), and France (18%).
The obstacles cited by Quebec businesses are concrete. Regarding their digital infrastructure investments, they primarily point to the high cost of implementation (27.2%), uncertainty regarding return on investment (19.3%), and a lack of specialized knowledge (14.3%), according to the ISQ (2025).
Federal data adds a nuance that changes the interpretation: 78% of non-adopting businesses state they do not see what AI would bring to their goods or services, according to Statistics Canada data cited in the national strategy (2026). The case remains to be made sector by sector, process by process. It is a challenge of concrete translation into operations, not one of access to technology.
Which Quebec sectors are leading, and which are waiting?
Finance and insurance, the information and cultural industries, and professional services are leading in Quebec, with usage rates ranging from 36.9% to 55.0%, according to the ISQ (2025).
Quebec benchmarks to position your business:
The dominant type of usage is telling. Text analysis accounts for 56.7% of mentions in Quebec: classifying, extracting, and summarizing. Businesses are starting with language, where operational friction is visible every day.
For a manufacturer or distributor below the average, the sector to watch is finance. Clients, insurers, and bankers are equipping themselves faster than the rest of the market.
What changes with the federal target of 60% by 2034?
The national strategy AI for All (2026) aims to increase AI adoption by Canadian businesses from 12% to 60% by 2034, with measures primarily aimed at SMEs. The BDC’s LIFT program, with $500 million in funding, will finance the integration of AI tools into their operations, according to the federal strategy.
A national target does not transform any specific business. It changes the competitive landscape: funding, training, and suppliers will present themselves to businesses that were hesitant. Waiting is becoming a decision in itself.
At the provincial level, Stream 1 of the ESSOR program already supports feasibility studies and digital diagnostics. Our guide to AI workshops in Quebec details these funding options.
The AI adoption gap isn't closed with a budget; it’s closed with a first measured use case.
How can you bridge the gap without launching a massive transformation?
By starting with a real operational friction point in a single business unit, applying the same filter to every idea: problem to solve, expected value, available data, and effort required. It’s the opposite of a major transformation program.
In our mandates across Quebec, the cleanest data already lives in the ERP: orders, invoices, payments, and inventory movements. That’s where initial pilots find their fuel, from sorting incoming emails to reconciling payments with invoices. Our article on quick AI wins in operations describes six recurring patterns.
Don’t forget the human side. Among Canadian companies using AI, 44.4% have modified their training or staffing practices, according to Statistics Canada (2026). A pilot without a training plan is just a prototype.
That is exactly the purpose of the PlanAxion AI workshop: 4 weeks, 5 steps (prepare, identify, prioritize, validate data, decide and deliver), about five participants from the same business unit, and a decision-ready roadmap at the end. The investment varies based on scope and is confirmed during a short discovery call.
Where should you start before the end of 2026?
Choose a process that causes pain every week, verify that the data already exists in your systems, and give yourself eight weeks to measure a first result. A Quebec company that executes this cycle once will have already done more than the majority of its market, by the numbers.
Frequently asked questions about AI adoption in Quebec
What is the AI adoption rate in Quebec?
According to the Institut de la statistique du Québec, 12.7% of Quebec businesses were using AI for production purposes in the 12 months leading up to the second quarter of 2025. The Canadian average reached 19.2% in the second quarter of 2026, according to Statistics Canada.
Why do SMEs adopt AI less than large companies?
The fixed costs of implementation are difficult to absorb at a small scale. According to the ISQ, Quebec businesses cite high costs, uncertainty regarding ROI, and a lack of specialized knowledge as the main barriers to their digital investments. In Quebec, 26.1% of companies with 100 or more employees use AI, compared to 12.2% of smaller ones.
What first AI use case should a Quebec company consider?
A repetitive and measurable process supported by data already present in existing systems like an ERP: sorting incoming emails, extracting data from supplier documents, flagging billing exceptions, or reconciling payments. The first result should be observable in less than eight weeks.
What financial assistance is available for an AI project in Quebec?
Stream 1 of Investissement Québec’s ESSOR program supports feasibility studies and digital diagnostics. At the federal level, the AI for All strategy includes BDC’s $500 million LIFT program to fund the adoption of AI tools by SMEs. Eligibility is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
