CGI research finds data sovereignty and modernization critical to scaling AI in Canada
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Canada findings show executives moving AI into core operations while strengthening the foundations required to scale securely and deliver measurable value
MONTRÉAL, July 21, 2026 /CNW/ -- CGI (TSX:GIB) (NYSE:GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, today released Canada-specific findings from its 2026 Voice of Our Clients research, based on 278 in-depth discussions with business and IT executives across 179 Canadian organizations.
The insights reveal that while AI adoption is advancing, from pilots to core operations, organizations are increasingly focused on the data, cloud and modernization foundations needed to scale securely and responsibly and deliver measurable business value.
The 2026 CGI Voice of Our Clients research highlight three key themes shaping AI progress in Canada:
- AI is moving beyond adoption and into core operations, as 64% of Canadian executives say their organizations are applying AI to core business and operational processes, and 61% say they are quantifying results from AI implementation.
- Cloud priorities reflect security and sovereignty pressures, as 65% cite security and cyber risk mitigation as a key goal in optimizing cloud adoption and value delivery, and 51% cite data sovereignty and localization.
- Modernization remains both a barrier and a priority, as 49% say legacy systems significantly challenge digitization, data and AI strategies, and 85% plan to modernize more than 20% of their core business application portfolio over the next two years.
"For Canadian organizations, the AI conversation has become one about foundation readiness," said Michael Godin, President, CGI's operations in Canada. "As organizations move beyond experimentation, they're prioritizing investments in cloud, data, governance and modernization to scale AI responsibly and achieve their digital transformation outcomes."
The Canada findings provide a Canadian perspective on the company's recently released global 2026 CGI Voice of Our Clients research, which highlighted rising C-suite AI adoption and a widening enterprise readiness gap.
About CGI Voice of Our Clients
Each year, CGI leaders around the world conduct in-depth, face-to-face interviews with business and IT executives to gather actionable insights on the trends shaping their enterprises. These conversations explore topics including strategy execution, IT modernization, talent management, cybersecurity, data, AI and cloud maturity, regulation, innovation, and sustainability. The insights inform practical roadmaps and are backed by over 1 million data points collected over five years.
About CGI
Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 94,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2025 reported revenue is CA$15.91 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.
SOURCE CGI Inc (Canada Operations)
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