Artificial intelligence has become an increasingly common part of recruitment. Employers may use AI-enabled tools to sort applications, identify qualifications, rank candidates, schedule interviews, analyze responses, or support other stages of the hiring process.

In Ontario, the growing visibility of these tools is not simply the result of technological change. New disclosure requirements have also prompted employers to say more about how AI is used when candidates apply for work.

A recent report found that the share of Ontario job postings containing AI-related terms rose from 9% in October 2025 to 28% in May 2026. This increase followed the introduction of provincial rules requiring certain employers to disclose the use of AI in recruitment and candidate screening.

Ontario’s New AI Disclosure Requirement

Under Ontario’s employment standards framework, employers with at least 25 employees must indicate in publicly advertised job postings whether they use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants.

The disclosure requirement also extends to associated application forms. It is intended to provide candidates with greater transparency when automated or AI-supported systems form part of the recruitment process.

The requirement does not prohibit employers from using AI. It instead focuses on informing applicants that the technology is involved. Employers may still determine which recruitment tools to use, subject to their broader obligations under employment, human rights, privacy, and other applicable laws.

AI Mentions Have Nearly Tripled

The increase in AI references in Ontario job advertisements was substantial. Between October 2025 and May 2026, the proportion of postings mentioning AI climbed by 19 percentage points.

Ontario now stands apart from several comparable labour markets. According to the article, the average share of job postings containing AI-related language across a group of advanced economies was approximately 7% in May 2026. Ontario’s share was four times that amount.

This does not necessarily mean Ontario employers use AI far more frequently than employers elsewhere. The difference may instead reflect Ontario’s disclosure rules, which make the technology more visible in job advertisements.

Disclosure Practices May Be Spreading Beyond Ontario

AI references also increased in job postings elsewhere in Canada. The share outside Ontario reportedly rose from 4% to 12% during the same seven-month period.

One possible explanation is that employers operating across multiple provinces have adopted a consistent national job-posting format. Rather than creating separate language for Ontario vacancies, some organizations may include AI disclosures in postings throughout Canada.

This type of standardized approach may simplify recruitment administration, particularly for employers that use centralized applicant-tracking systems or advertise similar roles in several jurisdictions. It may also result in candidates outside Ontario receiving information that is not yet required under the employment standards legislation in their province.

Some Sectors Saw Larger Changes Than Others

The increase in AI mentions was not limited to technology, finance, or data-related positions. The report examined 48 occupational categories and found that AI mentions increased in every one of them.

Forty of the 48 categories recorded increases of at least 10 percentage points. The median increase across all sectors was approximately 18 percentage points.

Pharmacy, retail, personal care, and home health postings experienced larger-than-average increases. Beauty and wellness, dental services, and veterinary services recorded comparatively smaller changes.

Employer Size May Explain Part of the Difference

Ontario’s disclosure rule applies to employers with at least 25 employees. Smaller employers are not subject to the same job-posting requirement.

This threshold may help explain why some occupational categories showed greater increases than others. Industries dominated by large organizations may be more likely to include formal AI disclosure language. Sectors consisting primarily of small or independently operated businesses may show a smaller change.

Large retailers provide one example. These organizations often employ workers across numerous roles, including cashiers, stock associates, pharmacy employees, supervisors, and administrative staff. A single recruitment system may be used across all positions and locations, making AI disclosures more visible in a broad range of advertisements.

What Counts as AI in Recruitment?

AI may enter the recruitment process in several ways. Some systems scan resumés for keywords or qualifications. Others assign scores, recommend candidates, administer assessments, generate interview questions, or analyze recorded responses.

Employers may also use automated tools to communicate with applicants, schedule interviews, produce job descriptions, or identify candidates through online platforms. However, not every automated recruitment feature will necessarily fall within the same legal definition or disclosure requirement.

Employers reviewing their practices may therefore need to understand both what their recruitment technology does and how it is described by the provider. A tool marketed as an applicant-tracking platform, assessment system, chatbot, or matching service may still contain AI-supported functions.

Disclosure Does Not Explain How the Tool Works

A statement that AI is used gives candidates basic notice, but it may not reveal which stage of the recruitment process involves the technology. For example, a disclosure may not indicate whether AI is used only to organize applications or whether it plays a role in ranking, assessing, or excluding candidates. It may also provide little information about the data considered by the system or the extent of human oversight.

The article notes that many employers supplement their AI disclosures by stating that human decision-makers retain final hiring authority. This type of language may help applicants understand that an automated tool is not solely responsible for the final decision.

However, human involvement at the final stage does not necessarily explain how much influence an AI system had earlier in the process. A candidate may still have been screened, scored, or prioritized before a hiring manager reviewed the application.

Application Rates Appear Largely Unchanged

One concern for employers may be whether disclosing AI use discourages people from applying. The report cited in the article did not identify a meaningful effect on application rates. Outside the technology sector, daily applications per posting in 2026 were reportedly similar for job advertisements that mentioned AI and those that did not.

These findings suggest that applicants may not automatically avoid an opportunity because AI is involved. Candidates may instead view the disclosure as one piece of information among many, alongside compensation, job duties, location, flexibility, qualifications, and workplace culture.

Application behaviour may continue to change as candidates become more familiar with AI recruitment tools and develop stronger expectations about transparency.

AI Disclosures Are Only One Part of Compliance

Including a disclosure in a job advertisement does not address every issue associated with AI-assisted hiring. Employers may also need to consider whether their recruitment practices create barriers for candidates protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code. A screening tool may produce unintended disadvantages if it relies on incomplete data, evaluates candidates through inaccessible methods, or reflects patterns found in historical hiring information.

Accommodation processes may also be relevant. Candidates who cannot complete an automated assessment or recorded interview in the standard format may require an alternative method. Employers may need procedures for responding to those requests without automatically excluding the applicant.

Privacy considerations may arise when recruitment platforms collect personal information, analyze voice or video, retain applicant records, or transfer data to third-party service providers. The legal issues can depend on the information collected, the organization involved, the platform’s operation, and the applicable privacy framework.

Reviewing Recruitment Systems and Job-Posting Templates

Ontario employers may benefit from identifying every tool used during recruitment, from the initial job advertisement through to the final hiring decision.

This review may include speaking with human resources staff, recruiters, managers, software providers, and third-party agencies. Employers may also examine whether different departments use separate platforms or informal AI tools that are not part of the organization’s approved recruitment process.

Job-posting templates should accurately reflect how candidates are screened, assessed, or selected. A general disclosure copied into every advertisement may not be suitable where AI use varies by position, department, or recruitment platform.

Employers may also consider whether application forms contain the required disclosure and whether the language remains consistent across company websites, job boards, recruitment agencies, and external platforms.

Transparency Is Becoming Part of the Hiring Landscape

The sharp rise in AI references shows how quickly regulatory requirements can change the language employers use to communicate with candidates. AI is no longer confined to highly technical roles or innovative industries. Its presence in postings for retail, pharmacy, health services, personal care, and other occupations illustrates how widely automated recruitment systems may be used.

Ontario’s disclosure rules have made that use more visible. They have also encouraged employers to examine where AI appears in their hiring process, what candidates are told, and whether human oversight remains meaningful.

Concerns About AI in Hiring? Contact Haynes Law Firm in Toronto

AI recruitment requirements can affect job advertisements, application forms, candidate assessments, human rights compliance, privacy practices, and internal hiring procedures. Employers may need to review both the wording of their postings and the technology operating behind them.

Paulette Haynes of Haynes Law Firm assists employers throughout Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area with Ontario employment standards compliance, recruitment policies, workplace technology, human rights obligations, employment agreements, and hiring-process reviews. Contact us online or call (416) 593-2731 to discuss AI disclosures in job postings and the legal considerations surrounding automated recruitment tools.