A new report says instilling trust and confidence in AI is the foundation from which all AI skill development needs to be built upon.
The great majority (84%) of Australian Gen Z youth have used Generative AI (Gen AI), with those from diverse backgrounds showing the most interest in the technology, according to new research conducted by Year13, in collaboration with Microsoft and KPMG Australia, that sheds light on the evolving relationship between Australia’s youth and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The report, AI Amplified: What Gen Zs Think of AI, surveyed 1048 15–24-year-olds nationally, and found that while 84% have used Gen AI tools, only 27% said they have a very good/excellent understanding of AI and want to learn more about the technology.
The majority of respondents expect AI will play an important role in their future education and career. 37% say it will be ‘somewhat important’, while 32% say it will be very to extremely important.
Year13 Co-Founder Will Stubley said: “The survey findings underscore the growing significance of AI in the lives of young Australians and why it’s crucial to provide educational resources and opportunities that enable all young people to leverage AI effectively for personal and professional growth. Our research has found young people are excited but realistic about AI’s benefits and about its potential risks. They are open to using it where required to aid them rather than having it do all their work entirely. Given how new the technology is, a significant number are confident using it while also being considerate about its responsible use.”
Understanding the AI gap
The research found that 41% of young people from a low social-economic status (SES) background have a good to excellent understanding of AI compared to 25% of those not from that background. Similarly, those from a culturally and linguistic diverse (CALD) background were also more likely to have an understanding and be interested in AI.
Both groups were also more likely to want to learn more about AI, with 38% of young people from a low SES background and 34% of those from a low CALD background noting they are very to extremely interested in learning about AI compared to 28% of all Gen Z respondents.
The report shows a gender gap in engagement in AI, with 32% of males saying they are very to extremely interested in AI compared to 18% of females. This reflects persistent gender disparities in IT engagement and underscores the need for targeted interventions to bridge this gap.
KPMG Australia Chief Digital Officer John Munnelly said: “AI is set to transform how we work, and Gen Z are those who are set to be the drivers of this change. While it is encouraging to see that AI is crossing economic and cultural divides, there is work to be done to ensure that all young people – and especially women and girls – are supported to build skills and confidence in the technology. With ‘AI fluency’ set to become the ‘digital literacy’ of the next working generation, the time to start is now.”
AI in Education
According to the research, Gen Z principally use AI for personal (64%) and education (60%) purposes, with just 15% using it for work. Out of those who have used AI for education purposes, more than half of them (55%) say it has helped them a moderate amount or more with their education. However, only 40% of school students report learning about AI at school, with more than half (55%) indicating a need for more AI-related activities and projects to help them get hands on with the technology
For those using Gen AI, the most popular tools were:
1. ChatGPT (71%)
2. Snapchat My AI Chatbot (27%)
3. Quillbot (16%)
4. Grammarly Go (15%)
5. Dall-E (10%)
6. Canva AI Image generator (10%)
Microsoft General Manager, Corporate External and Legal Affairs, John Galligan said: “As a generation of digital natives, Gen Z have a unique opportunity to harness the power of generative AI to shape this future. It’s clear they’re interested in using and learning more about the technology, but we need to ensure equity of access, so no one is left behind. It’s essential this generation, and those that follow, are equipped with the resources, tools and guidance to develop their skills and engage with the technology responsibly, from an early age.”
The report concludes instilling trust and confidence in AI is the foundation from which all AI skill development needs to be built upon.
“If young people don’t trust AI is working for the betterment of their lives and society, then no trust means no use, no use means no progress, and no progress means young people’s usage of AI will not be fully unlocked,” the report says.
