A new Samsung Canada survey found that technology is both helping and holding back Canadians when it comes to productivity.
The company says this “productivity paradox” shows that 75 percent of Canadians say tech helps them get things done faster, but 68 percent also say it gives them more to manage.
In particular, when it comes to feeling like they are dealing with extra work or slowing down, some of the biggest culprits were:
- 77 percent – messages and notifications
- 70 percent – search for information
- 66 percent – competing demands (following multiple tasks or conversations)
- 62 percent – switching between apps
Overall, 57 percent say that the more digital tools they use, the more they have to manage. What’s more, 59 percent of Canadians say they feel mentally drained or overwhelmed by technology, while 46 percent said they feel less productive during the day than expected.
Of course, Samsung is using this as a segue to push its own AI technology, including Now Brief and Now Nudge. According to the survey, two-thirds of Canadians said they think there is at least one AI feature that is “potentially valuable in helping them get things done with less effort.”
However, the key word there is potentially, as the survey doesn’t mention how successful Canadians feel AI has helped them. In fact, while we’ve seen companies push AI features to handle more and more tasks for you, we’ve also seen how that can go wrong, such as unauthorized banking activity by AI agents.
Samsung says the survey was conducted on behalf of the Leger Opinion Panel platform with 1,547 Canadian adults aged 18+. It took place between August 31 and September 2, 2026.
About: Yahoo Canada