Canada Ranks Fifth of 56 Commonwealth Nations in Youth AI Readiness Index
Canada placed fifth among 56 Commonwealth countries in the inaugural Ayre Index of youth AI readiness, with an overall score of 70.2 out of 100. According to the Ayre Think Tank, strong connectivity and digital capability are offset by a weaker showing in education and training.
- Canada ranked fifth among 56 Commonwealth countries in the inaugural Ayre Index, scoring 70.2 out of 100.
- Canada scored 9.4 out of 10 for access and for digital and AI capability, but 5.3 for education and training delivery.
- Researchers calculated a potential AI-related GDP increase of C$100.85 billion over ten years under a moderate IMF-based scenario.
- Only 37.7 per cent of Canadian 15-year-olds use AI chatbots for schoolwork weekly, against an OECD average of approximately 46 per cent.
- The accompanying white paper sets out five global priorities for youth AI readiness.
Strong access, weaker education delivery
The Ayre Index placed Canada behind Singapore, Malta, Australia and the United Kingdom. Canada scored 9.4 out of 10 for both meaningful access and digital, data, media and AI capability. For education and training delivery, its score was 5.3.
The findings were released during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, which was attended by King Charles III and Prime Minister Mark Carney. The think tank says a key question for Canada is how to turn strong infrastructure and youth interest into practical capability-building among young people.
The economic stakes
Researchers applied International Monetary Fund (IMF) scenarios to Canada's economy. Under a moderate scenario, they calculated a potential AI-related GDP increase of C$100.85 billion over the next ten years. The conservative estimate is C$51.19 billion and the optimistic case is C$150.44 billion.
The think tank says lower-scoring education and training provision could affect those economic gains.
Gaps in practical use
The Ayre Think Tank's analysis of OECD PISA 2025 data found that only 37.7 per cent of Canadian 15-year-olds reported using AI chatbots for schoolwork at least weekly. The OECD average is approximately 46 per cent. Separately, Statistics Canada research found that just 10 per cent of employed 15- to 24-year-olds used generative AI at work over a 12-month period.
The Index also did not identify an explicit reference to AI in the teacher-policy evidence it used for Canada, which drew on UNESCO's country profile on technology in education.
Lisa Taylor, founder and CEO of Challenge Factory, said Canada needs to ensure its education systems help young people "move beyond readiness and become AI fluent." She added that the real priority is ensuring youth know how to use AI effectively and question its outputs.
Five global priorities
The think tank also produced a white paper on the Index findings. It identifies five global priorities:
- affordable and reliable access to technology
- education that develops practical skills
- stronger routes from training into employment and enterprise
- AI tools suited to local languages and needs
- safeguards that enable young people to question automated decisions
The paper calls on governments, educators and development partners to better understand the barriers young people face in each country before deciding where investment can make the greatest impact.
Calvin Ayre, founder of the think tank, said the Index "shows countries where they stand, what they're getting right and where they need to do better." C. Justin Robinson of the University of the West Indies, Five Islands Campus, who contributed to the white paper's foreword, said young people should be equipped to question new AI tools and to improve them.
What it means for Canada
The results suggest that access and digital skills alone do not guarantee practical AI capability. For Canada, the think tank points to education and training as the area where gains could be made, with the potential economic benefits tied to how well young people are prepared for an AI-driven workforce.
