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April 2026 Survey Results • Little Dragon Media
Despite the AI Boom, 63.6% of Canadians Still Trust Google Search Most for Answers Online
We surveyed 1,500 Canadians in April 2026 and asked them 5 questions to better understand how often they are using AI tools instead of Google Search, which platforms they trust most for answers online, and what actually influences their decision when choosing a local business.
Note: Findings reflect Canadian respondents surveyed online. Percentages are self-reported, and one question allowed multiple selections.
Key findings
- 63.6% of Canadian respondents said they trust Google search the most when looking for answers online, versus 20.6% for AI tools.
- 71.7% said they have used AI instead of Google in the past month, including 33.9% who said they do so frequently and 37.8% who said they do so occasionally.
- Younger Canadians were the most likely to use AI instead of Google, led by 18–24 year olds at 80.7% and 25–34 year olds at 78.9%.
- Older Canadians were the most likely to trust Google, led by 55–64 year olds at 71.9%.
- Men were more likely than women to say they trust AI tools most (24.3% vs 18.1%), while women were more likely to trust Google search most (66.7% vs 59.0%).
- For local business decisions, Google reviews led by a wide margin at 49.7%, compared with just 10.0% for AI recommendations.
Topline results
The biggest finding in this survey is not that Canadians are using AI. That part is already happening. The more interesting story is that trust has not moved nearly as fast as behavior. While 71.7% of respondents said they have used AI instead of Google in the past month, 63.6% still said they trust Google search the most when looking for answers online.
That gap between usage and trust becomes even more meaningful when money or real-world decisions are involved. When respondents were asked what matters most when choosing a local business online, Google reviews dominated the results, while AI recommendations remained a much smaller factor. In other words, AI may be changing how people research, but traditional trust signals still appear to be doing most of the heavy lifting.
Demographic breakdowns
The demographic cuts add a useful layer to the story. Younger Canadians are much more likely to use AI instead of Google, while older Canadians remain more loyal to traditional search. Gender differences are smaller, but still noticeable: men appear somewhat more open to AI, while women remain more likely to trust Google search most.
What these results mean
The usual headline is that AI is replacing search. These results suggest something more nuanced. Canadians are clearly using AI more often, but they still rely on Google more when trust matters. That pattern is strongest among older Canadians, while younger adults appear much more comfortable experimenting with AI-first discovery. For businesses, that means AI visibility may be worth watching, but reputation, reviews, and website quality still matter a great deal.
Full survey questionnaire (question wording and response options)
Below is the questionnaire as presented to respondents in Canada.
- Yes, frequently
- Yes, occasionally
- No, but I plan to try it
- No, I prefer Google
- Google search
- AI tools
- Social media platforms
- Forums (e.g. Reddit, Quora)
- Newspapers
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Gemini
- Microsoft Copilot
- Grok
- Meta AI
- None of the above
- Trust AI more
- Trust both equally
- Trust Google more
- Trust neither
- Google reviews
- Website quality
- Search ranking
- Recommendations from friends
- AI recommendations
Survey methodology
- Sample: n=1500 respondents in Canada
- Mode: Online survey
- Topic: AI usage, online trust, and local business decision-making
- Demographics reviewed: age and gender
- Notes: One question allowed multiple responses; that chart is labeled accordingly.
- Source: Little Dragon Media commissioned a Pollfish™ online study
For journalists: Contact Little Dragon Media if you would like the topline data, question wording, or commentary on what these findings mean for local businesses and digital marketing.
About Little Dragon Media
Little Dragon Media is a digital marketing agency that helps businesses grow through SEO, Google Ads, web design, content strategy, and digital PR. This survey was commissioned to better understand how AI is changing online discovery and what that shift means for search trust, AI visibility, and local business marketing in Canada.
Christina Voll is a Canadian AI-focused marketing consultant with 10+ years of experience helping small businesses improve their digital presence through content, paid media, email, and omnichannel strategies. She writes about AI in marketing, search, content strategy, and modern growth systems.
