opinion: ai is reshaping canadian life and our mental health needs to be part of the design
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if ai is increasing cognitive strain, it is not being used well, no matter how advanced it appears.
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from drafting emails to managing schedules, meal planning or creating stylized self-portraits, ai is quickly becoming a part of how canadians work, learn and live. the promise is compelling: less busywork, more efficiency and time reclaimed for meaningful activities.
but as ai is being layered onto lives that are already stretched thin by screens, the health consequences are stacking up.
as this mental health awareness month reminds canadians to reflect on the state of our collective wellbeing, it is worth asking how this next wave of technology is shaping not just how we work, but how we feel.
ai and the reality of canada’s average screen time
research from cisco and the oecd found that 86.6 per cent of canadians spend more than three hours a day looking at screens. as work, education, healthcare and social connection move increasingly online, many people report feeling caught in cycles of distraction and fatigue, which has turned mental exhaustion, not productivity, into a defining feature of modern digital life.
ai does not exist outside this context. as these tools become embedded in daily routines, they influence how much we work and how our attention is spent throughout the day. whether ai lightens mental load or adds to it depends on how intentionally it is introduced and used. without a focus on health, even well-meaning efficiency gains can risk reinforcing patterns of constant engagement.
most conversations around ai adoption right now are framed around speed and output, and implementation plans reflect this. according to cisco’s 2025 ai readiness index, 74% of canadian organizations are planning on deploying task-automating ai agents. however, new tools can mean new dashboards, new prompts, and new expectations of responding instantly. instead of reducing the digital burden, the technology marketed as a solution to burnout becomes part of the problem.
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another often overlooked factor is context switching–the mental effort required to constantly shift between tools and streams of information. even before ai, this was a growing challenge of digital work. the cycle of writing prompts, reviewing outputs, checking messages and jumping from task to task fragments attention over time. when ai tools require continuous monitoring and input, they can create a trap of fragmented, never-finished work. instead of feeling like tasks are being completed, workers might feel busy all day without a clear sense of progress or endpoint.
the difference between lightening the digital load and adding to it
if ai is going to shape the future of canadian life, it must be governed by one non-negotiable principle: improving wellness. there are a few guidelines we can use to inform more intentional implementation:
first, ai should aim to shorten tasks. this is one area where agentic ai shows immense promise–automated workflows for note-taking, calendar management or simple responses can deliver time savings without creating new layers of work.
second, we should encourage active, objective-focused use of ai rather than passive or open-ended prompting. from a health perspective, this distinction is important. mindless scrolling and open-ended prompting may feel productive, but more often, this increases fatigue and reduces focus. intentional, goal-driven use supports better cognitive health and a stronger sense of control.
finally, there must be a clearer public understanding of where ai does not belong yet. use cases involving emotional support, conflict resolution or complex guidance still require full human care and accountability at every step.
these are habits that individuals can adopt, but the responsibility cannot fall on individuals alone. employers, educators and policymakers have a big role to play by recognizing screen-related stress as a legitimate wellness concern and building that into ai education and training.
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mental health awareness month is rightfully focused on removing stigma and sharing experiences, but this is also a moment to call for better, more supportive design and workflow choices. if ai is becoming part of the infrastructure of daily life, then protecting mental health must be built into that infrastructure from the start.
workplaces already accept that poorly designed chairs, lighting or schedules can harm wellness. digital environments deserve the same kind of scrutiny. if ai is increasing cognitive strain, it is not being used well, no matter how advanced it appears.
relief from constant engagement and exhaustion can be enabled by ai, and we have the resources to make this happen – but only if wellbeing becomes a non-negotiable part of how we design and adopt new tools.
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