Three quarters of Australians used an artificial intelligence tool in the past year. Use cases are diverse, spanning personal and business functions. While this broad footprint shows signs of enhancing our productivity, it also brings with it clear points of vulnerability that may require attention from policymakers and regulators.
What we found
AI chatbots are by far the most used AI tool. Australians use these to get quick answers or explanations of complex topics (52%), to automate or write emails, reports and documents(39%), and for day-to-day planning (34%). One third use chatbots to fact-check information.
Usage patterns vary markedly by age. Younger Australians are more likely to be multi-platform, multi-function users — as with previous new technologies, they are the curators of emerging applications. Professional use cases such as seeking career advice and preparing for interviews concentrate heavily among 16–24-year-olds.
Two points of vulnerability are evident. Australians with disability are significantly more likely to use chatbots to confide about personal issues and struggles, emphasising the strong need for guardrails and a safety-by-design approach for platform providers. Additionally, notable proportions of Australians who have used companion apps report concerning experiences: over one quarter felt the app encouraged emotional dependence, while roughly one in eight report it produced sexual or explicit content or discouraged real-world relationships.
Why this matters.
Australia has recently introduced policies to responsibly accelerate our adoption and usage of AI. The National AI Plan (2025) and the proposed national AI framework and Office of AI (2026) aim to balance the benefits of these technologies against their emerging risks. In this early stage of the policy cycle, it is fundamental that there is evidence to inform safeguarding efforts. This study provides a baseline understanding of adoption patterns, points of vulnerability, and the appetite for regulation versus technological innovation.
Watch APAC's Chief Client Officer, Rob McPhedran, discuss the key findings below: