Most rate themselves a "C" or lower, yet only 37% get proper AI training from employers
Nearly one in three Canadian workers say they have overstated their artificial intelligence skills on the job, a sign of the pressure building as the technology spreads through workplaces.
The finding comes from the 2026 TD AI Insights Report, a survey conducted by Ipsos for TD, which found that 32 percent of respondents admit to exaggerating their AI abilities at work.
That admission sits against a wider confidence gap.
According to the report, 75 percent of those polled rate their own AI skills a "C" or lower, while just 4 percent give themselves an "A."
Most respondents nonetheless treat the technology as unavoidable, with 78 percent saying AI adoption in the workplace is inevitable.
Views on that inevitability split along generational lines.
Boomers are the most likely to call workplace AI adoption inevitable at 89 percent, followed by Gen X at 81 percent, Millennials at 79 percent and Gen Z at 65 percent.
Many workers also report concrete gains.
As per the report, 59 percent say AI makes them more productive in their jobs, and 58 percent say it gives them a competitive edge over people in similar roles.
The findings point to a gap employers have yet to close.
Only 37 percent of respondents say they have received adequate AI training from their employer, the survey reported, and 53 percent say their workplace lags others in adopting the technology.
Luke Gee, senior vice president and chief analytics and AI officer at TD Bank Group, tied the confidence gap to the speed of change.
"AI is becoming more prevalent across the world of work but for many people it still feels new and unfamiliar," he said.
He said the pace can feel fast, and workers are building new skills and figuring out how the tools support their existing work.
What matters most is helping people feel supported as they learn and use AI in practical ways.
Melanie Burns, senior executive vice-president and chief human resources officer at TD Bank, framed training as a competitive question for organizations.
Technology will push firms to "help people develop new skills," she said.
Those that back learning and give staff the right tools will help their people thrive.
