AI use today is concentrated in certain key areas. It’s highest in customer experience (CX), with 29% of Australians and 33% of New Zealanders using AI to access customer support. Yet even in sectors where AI adoption is lower – such as energy or financial services – the AI Sentiment Index shows that people are open to AI playing a role.
Many are likely already using services or experiences driven by AI, but without realising it. As Blair Delzoppo, EY APAC FSO Technology Consulting Lead, notes: “Promisingly, our research indicates that in Australia and New Zealand, there is a strong level of comfort among individuals regarding the use of AI by financial institutions for fraud protection. However, the limited number of respondents who report having utilised AI for this purpose highlights the need for financial institutions to enhance their efforts in educating customers about the ways AI is actively supporting them.”
Some of the most promising AI applications validated by our study align with areas where businesses are actively developing solutions. These include:
- Media and entertainment: Personalised content recommendations
- Technology: Managing smart devices
- Retail: Accessing customer support
- Health: Diagnosing symptoms
- Financial services: AI-driven financial wellness
In developing these solutions, it’s valuable to note this finding from our study: agency is as important as privacy. People are more comfortable with AI in monitoring and preventative applications and become wary when AI handles personal data or makes decisions on their behalf. For example, they are relaxed about AI monitoring that keeps a vehicle up-to-date with maintenance or prevents shoplifting, but they become highly uncomfortable with AI monitoring that’s trying to improve shopping experiences or recommend ways of making employees more efficient. In Australia, only three in ten people feel comfortable with AI being used to monitor employees for efficiency, analyse resumes for hiring, or assess employee performance. For New Zealand, this drops to two in ten people. Even younger generations – who tend to be more comfortable with AI in general – remain hesitant when it comes to AI’s role in workplace decision-making.
Openness to AI declines even further when the technology is used to make decisions that humans would normally make. While 52% of Australians and 50% of New Zealanders are comfortable with AI preventing crime, only 32% and 26%, respectively, are comfortable with AI making legal decisions. In healthcare, 47% of Australians and New Zealanders support AI predicting health issues, but only 26% and 20%, respectively, trust AI as a medical practitioner.
Discomfort is about the role people play in AI-driven systems, not the technology itself. The fear isn’t so much about AI replacing people, it’s about AI diminishing the value of people thinking critically, making choices, and having autonomy. That’s why bridging the adoption gap requires not just technological advancements, but a nuanced approach that aligns AI’s evolution with real human concerns and expectations. It also requires a mindset shift – not “How do we convince people to use AI?” but “How do we create the conditions where people want to use AI?”
“By fostering understanding and dialogue, we can cultivate the social licence necessary to drive the development of world-class AI solutions that benefit all,” says Katherine Boiciuc, EY Regional Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Oceania. “As we navigate this rapidly changing AI landscape, it is imperative that leaders lean towards AI and be proactive in addressing the trust deficit and skills gap posed by AI.”