Why Australians Still Don't Trust AI - and What Needs to Change
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere in Australia in 2025. But despite AI's growing presence, Australians remain pretty sceptical—and honestly, they have every right to be.
Recent data shows Aussies have mixed feelings about AI. According to a 2025 global survey, although more than half of Australians (55%) have seen tangible benefits from AI, such as better efficiency, a massive 78% still worry about potential negatives, like misinformation or errors. Only 30% believe the positives outweigh the risks, placing Australia among the most sceptical countries worldwide (source).
Why the hesitation?
A big reason is that AI solutions often aren't built with Australia in mind. Many systems were created overseas and simply dropped here without proper localisation. This means the AI often misfires - misunderstanding local slang, places, or even important industry-specific details. We've seen AI tools consistently make errors ("hallucinations"), confidently producing incorrect information because the data they're trained on isn’t local or clean.
Generative AI—tools that create content like text or images—has especially suffered. While around 71% of Aussie workers use these tools, nearly half (48%) admit they've breached company guidelines while using AI, often inputting sensitive data without realising it (source). This unregulated approach has led to numerous incidents where AI-created content caused real trouble for businesses and individuals alike.
Real-life AI failures
High-profile Australian cases like the Robodebt debacle still linger in people's minds, reminding everyone how badly implemented AI can impact lives. More recently, a Melbourne lawyer faced professional repercussions when generative AI falsely created case references for a court submission.
No wonder nearly two-thirds (62%) of Australians say they're worried rather than excited about AI's future (source).
What can Australian businesses do?
If you're looking to implement AI solutions that Aussies will actually trust, here’s a straightforward approach:
Localise your AI solutions: Make sure the AI you use understands Australian culture, language, and industry specifics.
Set clear guardrails: Develop easy-to-follow guidelines about AI use, especially for generative AI.
Educate your teams: Boost AI literacy—helping people understand AI reduces fear and builds confidence.
Be transparent: Clearly disclose when and how you're using AI, and openly communicate about its accuracy and limitations.
AI isn’t going anywhere. But if we want Australians to trust it, we need systems built for us - not just dropped on us. Looking to bridge the AI trust gap in Australia? Start building solutions that resonate - localised, transparent, and designed for trust. Together, we can create AI systems Australians can rely on.
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