Tobi Lütke
, the founding father of Ottawa-based
Shopify Inc.
, has a brand new mantra for his workforce: “AI first.”
In a current memo, the CEO urged employees to hunt
synthetic intelligence
options earlier than requesting further sources or new hires, a directive that’s rippling by means of Canada’s tech sector. Lütke has emphasised that AI shouldn’t be about reducing jobs, however about reimagining work.
For a lot of, the message is evident: AI is reshaping the office, and for the more severe. The World Financial Discussion board’s Way forward for Jobs Report 2025, launched in January, paints a stark image. By 2030, AI and automation are anticipated to displace 92 million jobs globally, from coders to customer support reps.
In Canada, the place tech and manufacturing make use of greater than 1.5 million individuals, the affect might be profound. Micha Kaufman, chief govt of freelancing platform Fiverr Worldwide Ltd., didn’t mince phrases in a current e-mail to his staff that he shared on X: “AI is coming to your jobs. Heck, it’s coming for my job too.”
However on this upheaval lies an surprising alternative, one which’s already reworking industries and redefining how we dwell.
The worry of an AI-driven dystopia —
mass layoffs
, strained social security nets — dominates headlines. But historical past suggests economies adapt to technological shocks.
For instance, the Industrial Revolution displaced weavers, however birthed manufacturing facility jobs. The web killed journey businesses, however spawned digital advertising.
E-commerce
displaced 1,000,000 retail jobs between 2000 and 2020, solely to exchange them with distribution centre and parcel supply jobs.
AI’s tempo could also be sooner, however the World Financial Discussion board report affords hope: 92 million jobs might vanish, however 170 million new ones may emerge, yielding a web achieve of 78 million.
In Canada, roles in tech, well being care and training are projected to develop, however the actual wild card is leisure.
As AI automates routine duties, it’s not simply threatening jobs; it’s unlocking a leisure revolution. From pickleball courts to brand-new sports activities leagues reimagining the viewers expertise, the worldwide leisure sector is poised for a growth, and Canadian companies should capitalize on it.
As AI boosts
productiveness
, firms are rethinking work itself. Shopify’s “AI first” coverage is one instance. With only a 20 per cent productiveness achieve, firms might be able to contemplate a shorter workweek, one thing that’s already gaining traction in Denmark. Extra free time creates extra alternative to spend money and time on leisure actions.
This shift is already seen, though pushed by child boomers having extra time to pursue leisure actions, however it affords a blueprint for a world the place staff have extra free time.
Globally, the leisure sector — spanning sports activities, journey and lodging, and leisure — is receiving unprecedented funding. In Canada, the place tourism contributes nearly $40 billion yearly to the gross home product, the implications are large.
The worldwide sports activities trade, valued at US$600 billion, is rising at 5 per cent yearly, and new leagues are driving the surge. The Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League, launched in 2023, attracts 10,000 followers per recreation. The Saudi-backed LIV Golf is shaking up the game with US$25-million purses, whereas cricket’s India Premier League, valued at US$10.7 billion, has impressed franchise fashions worldwide.
Tiger Woods’ tech-driven TGL league, launched this 12 months, guarantees interactive golf for digital audiences. Esports tournaments, akin to Toronto’s Overwatch occasions, pack arenas and stream to tens of millions. Components One’s U.S. enlargement, with races in Miami and Las Vegas, boosts Montreal’s Canadian Grand Prix, which drew 350,000 attendees in 2024. Main League Soccer, in the meantime, has surged since Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami FC, with TV scores up 20 per cent in North America.
These leagues demand infrastructure — stadiums, sensible expertise, superior cameras, quick networks, streaming platforms, meals and beverage gross sales and coaching amenities — and, in fact, labour.
AI-displaced staff, from name centre employees to accountants, will uncover new roles as coaches, broadcasters, technologists and occasion planners. The proprietor of the Toronto Maple Leafs is investing $350 million in its Scotiabank Enviornment revitalization mission.
Non-public fairness can be circling: the NFL’s current transfer to permit 10 per cent workforce possession by funds alerts the place sensible cash is headed. The sports activities growth wants individuals, not bots.
If sports activities are thriving, journey is hovering. International air passenger numbers have expanded at a 4.5 per cent compound annual progress price over the previous decade, fuelled by rising incomes and retiring child boomers.
Globally, the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation reported a 12.8 per cent leap in worldwide site visitors in 2024. Cruises are even hotter: the worldwide fleet grew 24.2 per cent from 2015 to 2025, with 323 ships now crusing. Vancouver’s port, a cruise hub, welcomed 1.3 million passengers in 2024, up 15 per cent from pre-COVID-19 ranges.
The cruise trade helps 1.6 million jobs globally, 77 per cent of them land-based, from hospitality to logistics. Ports akin to Halifax and Victoria are hiring for roles AI can’t contact, akin to tour guides, occasion planners and wellness coaches.
Leisure can be reinventing itself. Netflix and YouTube are creating jobs for Canadian content material creators, from Vancouver animators to Toronto podcasters. As AI displaces desk jobs, roles in hospitality, stage manufacturing and influencer advertising are multiplying.
Canada’s leisure sector isn’t simply using a world wave; it’s carving its personal path. The nation’s huge landscapes, from Banff, Alta., to the Maritimes, are a draw for street trippers, particularly as self-driving tech makes journey thrilling once more. Well being and wellness retreats around the globe, akin to Quebec’s Le Monastère des Augustines, are booming as individuals search steadiness in an AI-driven world.
Challenges stay.
Labour shortages
, a perennial concern in tourism, may intensify as demand grows. However a rebalancing alternative exists and youthful staff usually tend to be self-motivated to upskill into the enterprise of leisure given the attractiveness of this sector to this demographic.
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AI may ship what previous improvements promised: a life enriched by time, not outlined by toil. Meaning extra weekends on the slopes, extra evenings on the rink and extra summers exploring the world.
Deepak Chopra is a company director and adviser to Founders.
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