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Montreal, QC - April 2026 | Today, QueerTech has published the first-ever research report relating to the inclusive development and deployment of artificial intelligence systems across the Canadian technology ecosystem, with a focus on 2SLGBTQI+ considerations and realities. Deemed as a critical area of study by the Canadian government, the Inclusive AI Development: Responsible Practices & 2SLGBTQI+ Outcomes Research Report aims to contribute to an under-considered and under-resourced area of our tech sector.
Through this research, QueerTech has established an informed benchmark into the current state of responsible AI system development and deployment across the country; gaining vital insight into sector-wide approaches to this work, stark disparities in reported inclusion priority versus in-practice support, significant knowledge gaps in product teams relating to equitable systems design, and clear opportunities for both private and public sector interest-holders.
Funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada, the Inclusive AI Development Research Report is the first of two studies being published by QueerTech in 2026, focused on responsible artificial intelligence practices across high-risk areas of Canada’s technology industry. Unlike previous QueerTech research, these two reports reflect a broader Canadian tech audience beyond 2SLGBTQI+ professionals; a strategic selection in order to assess and measure perceptions of inclusion across the sector, and uncover differing awareness levels of exclusionary tech systems between queer and non-queer tech professionals. These studies utilize both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, and reflect a diverse sample of tech companies across the country - differing in size, maturity, sub-sector, geographic location, and product type.
The second study associated with inclusive AI practices is the Artificial Intelligence Utilization in HR: Inclusive Human Resources Practices & 2SLGBTQI+ Outcomes Research Report. Being published in June 2026, this report explores how HR and People Teams across Canada’s tech industry - largely considered a high-risk business function due to influence over social and economic outcomes - are implementing, using, and monitoring AI systems in their roles.
A. DISPARITY IN MEETING MARKET NEEDS
Less than half of Canadian tech companies believe their AI products meet the needs of 2SLGBTQI+ users, compared to 65% believing they meet the needs of the general population; a nearly 20% disparity.
B. REPORTED PRIORITY VS. IN-PRACTICE SUPPORT
While 97% of tech companies report inclusive AI as a moderate to high priority…
43% report Limited to No Formal Processes for addressing bias in their work.
71% report Limited to No Organizational Support for equitable representation.
C. REPORTED PROFICIENCY VS. KNOWLEDGE GAPS
While 85% of companies report considering inclusion "Significantly" in design, training, testing & monitoring stages of AI product development.
77% reported that addressing queer inclusion in their work (across the same stages of product development) was Challenging or Very Challenging.
18% of Canadian AI developers believe they have never encountered a single 2SLGBTQI+ safety consideration in their work.
D. CONTRASTING NEEDED SUPPORT & LARGEST BARRIERS
Despite reported prioritization & proficiency in inclusive development, top barriers to more inclusive development are: Insufficient Resources/Budget (39%), Competing Priorities (36%), Difficulty Measuring ROI (33%).
“Technology serves whoever builds it. This study from QueerTech is a critical step in ensuring our most powerful technologies reflect and serve all Canadians,” said Naoufel Testaouni, Co-Founder and CEO of QueerTech. “This report has established a new benchmark into how Canada is fairing in the era of AI; offering industry and government necessary insights to co-design informed regulatory and governance frameworks, build stronger products, and reinforce economic competitiveness through sustainable, strategic innovation.”
“Artificial intelligence will help define Canada’s economic future—but it must be shaped by all Canadians, not just a narrow slice of the tech sector. Organizations like QueerTech are leading the way, showing that when we build inclusively, we build smarter, fairer, and more competitive technologies,” said The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence & Digital Innovation, and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
In 2026, Canada’s technology industry is displaying concerning trends in responsible, inclusive system development and deployment. Reported corporate priority and proficiency levels stand in stark contrast to the realities across tech workplaces: decentralized ownership, fragmented or missing support, critically low awareness of inclusive development best practices, and products that create identity-based disparities in access, utility, and risk. Overt hate remains a reality across our society; increasingly, these harmful views are being expressed through formal workplace information-gathering channels. Underlying these trends is the quiet proliferation of corporate neutrality, displaced ownership, and lack of direct accountability.
Canada’s AI future will be defined by what we choose to normalize and incentivize now across its full lifecycle; from design and deployment, to utilization and governance. For Canadian policy makers, that means building the legal, institutional, technical, and educational conditions that make inclusive, responsible development the price of entry for those who pose to benefit from these exponentially powerful technologies. Ultimately, Canada must define the type of innovation we are proud to stand behind, and clearly identify the threshold below which tech organizations become a liability to long-term competitiveness, and public trust.
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QueerTech is a national nonprofit advancing 2SLGBTQI+ talent, entrepreneurship, and inclusive technology across Canada’s tech ecosystem. Through community-led programming, original research, strategic partnerships, and actionable inclusion tools, QueerTech builds pathways into tech and helps shape a more responsible and equitable technology industry. The organization is also a national leader in responsible technology advocacy and progressive 2SLGBTQI+ equity and inclusion policy facilitation.