For AI consulting and chatbot setup in Montreal, small businesses can work with freelancers, agencies or an IT provider. IT Cares offers remote, fixed-price AI services across Quebec: staff AI policy and training, a data-leak risk audit, and a Loi 25 AI readiness review. Chatbot setup is available inside a monthly plan, not as a one-off product.
Most small businesses in Montreal do not need an "AI transformation". They need to know which AI tools their team already uses, what customer data goes into them, and whether that is compatible with Quebec privacy law. This page explains who can help, what IT Cares really offers, and what to ask any provider.
Key facts, with sources
- 12.2% of Canadian businesses reported using AI to produce goods or deliver services in the second quarter of 2025, up from 6.1% a year earlier. Source: Statistics Canada, "Analysis on artificial intelligence use by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2025" (11-621-M).
- 19.2% of businesses reported having used AI over the 12 months to the second quarter of 2026. Source: Statistics Canada, "Analysis on planned use of artificial intelligence by businesses in Canada, third quarter of 2026", released October 1, 2026.
Who can help a small business with AI in Montreal?
| Type of provider | Good at | Ask about |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance AI consultant | Quick experiments, prompts, workflows | Data handling, continuity if they leave |
| Marketing or web agency | Website chatbots, content, lead capture | Where chat data is stored and who can read it |
| AI software vendor | The vendor's own product | Hosting location, retention, training on your inputs |
| IT support provider | Accounts, devices, permissions, staff rules, security | Written scope, remote access method, fixed price |
What IT Cares actually offers
We describe only what is listed on our live shop page. All shop prices are in Canadian dollars, taxes extra, and services are delivered remotely by video call.
| Service | What is included | Price (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| AI Policy + Staff Training Pack | Written AI acceptable-use policy (a template, not legal advice), approved-tools list, data classification guide and a 90 minute Google Meet training for up to 15 staff | $1,490 |
| AI Data-Leak Risk Audit | Shadow-AI inventory, ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini exposure review, prioritized fix list and a 1 hour readout (1 to 2 weeks) | $1,990 |
| Loi 25 + AI Readiness | Inventory of AI tools touching personal information, privacy impact worksheet drafts, supplier question list and a 1 hour readout | From $990 as an add-on, $1,990 standalone |
| ChatGPT Starter Session | Account, privacy settings, 10 use cases and a written cheat sheet (60 min) | $99 |
| Freelancer AI Toolkit | Proposals, invoicing, content and admin workflows, saved prompt library (90 min) | $179 |
The audit and readiness work reviews settings, permissions and metadata. It does not read staff chats or customer files. Implementing the fixes is quoted separately. For learning more about each, see the AI Data-Leak Risk Audit, the AI Policy + Staff Training Pack and the Loi 25 + AI Readiness pages.
What about chatbots?
Be clear about the difference. Our fixed-price shop does not include a custom chatbot build. Our AI Growth page lists chatbot setup and automation as part of a monthly plan with no long-term commitment, alongside AI search visibility work. If a chatbot is your main goal, ask any provider, us included, for a written scope, the hosting location, the retention period and a clear way to switch it off.
Loi 25 and AI tools: what to think about
Quebec's Loi 25 modernized the province's privacy rules. This is general information, not legal advice. In practice, an AI tool becomes a Loi 25 question the moment personal information goes into it: customer names, emails, health details, résumés or call notes.
- Privacy impact assessment: Loi 25 requires a privacy impact assessment (évaluation des facteurs relatifs à la vie privée) in certain projects involving personal information. The Commission d'accès à l'information publishes a guide on the method.
- Data outside Quebec: many AI tools process data on servers elsewhere. Disclosure outside Quebec has its own requirements.
- Training on your inputs: check whether the vendor uses your data to train its models and whether a business account changes that.
- Retention and deletion: know how long conversations are kept and how to delete them.
- Automated decisions: if a tool makes decisions about people without human involvement, the law may require informing them.
- Named responsibility: your person in charge of personal information protection should review any new tool.
For a wider Loi 25 picture, see our Quebec Law 25 overview.
A sensible 5-step path for a small business
- Inventory: list every AI tool in use, including free accounts staff opened themselves.
- Classify data: decide what is public, internal and confidential, and what can never be pasted into an AI tool.
- Write the rules: a one-page acceptable-use policy that staff can actually follow.
- Train the team: one live session with real examples from your sector.
- Then automate: only after the first four steps, add a chatbot or an automation, with a privacy review.
Not sure where to start?
Book a 60 minute consultation and we will tell you honestly which service, if any, fits your situation.
About IT Cares
IT Cares is a Montreal-based IT support company, founded in 2014, serving individuals and small businesses across Quebec and Canada remotely and at home. Our public rating is 4.9 stars from 101 Google reviews. We are an IT provider, not a law firm: we do not give legal advice or certify compliance.
Frequently asked questions
Last verified: November 14, 2026. Prices copied from the live shop pages on this date.