Young Australians are embracing generative AI (GenAI), but concerns about its ethical use, impact on future careers and potential for creative theft are shaping how they engage with the technology, according to a new report by The Insight Centre.
Dr Anna Denejkina, Associate Director said the findings from the report ‘From Gen Z to GenAI: The impact, opportunities and challenges of Generative AI for young Australians’ reveal a generation caught between the benefits and pitfalls of emerging AI tools.
“There is a clear tension between the opportunities Gen Zs see in AI and the significant concerns they hold about its impact on their future.
“On the one hand, young people are using AI to help with study, develop new skills, and even for emotional support and advice. We found that 74% of 14-27 year-olds are using AI to assist with their schoolwork, and nearly half of those surveyed use AI to help them think through ideas and find information.”
Donald, a university student studying computer science and working in the AI sector right now, said AI changed the direction of his life for the better.
“Using AI was what got me into tech in the first place. I had no coding background, but these tools helped me develop my skills and build the resources I needed to learn, and I went from there. Now I’m studying computer science and working in the AI sector. It opened doors I didn’t think existed.
“People talk about AI taking jobs, but if you look at industrial and technological revolutions of the past, they show that every wave of innovation creates new types of jobs. AI won’t replace humans, it’ll push us to think more creatively and work smarter.”
Dr Denejkina said that while many Gen Z’s spoke of their positive experiences with GenAI, many had expressed significant concerns.
“Gen Z remains deeply concerned about how GenAI could affect their job prospects, the creative industry and their online safety.”
“Deepfakes are a major concern for women, and specifically those aged 18-21, who are most likely to fear their impact.
“These fears were not unfounded, with research confirming that the vast majority of deepfakes were non-consensual sexual content that almost uniquely targeted women.
“This is a growing reality, not a hypothetical threat.”
Jacinta*, a young data analyst, said after using Chat GPT every day, she’s pared back her usage over concerns with deepfakes, misinformation and its impact on her capacity for independent thought.
“I used to rely on it religiously, but now I use it sparingly, especially after seeing deepfakes of politicians saying things they never said. That was a key point at which I turned away from AI.
“I started using ChatGPT to help write emails and brainstorm ideas, but it got to a point where I wasn’t thinking for myself anymore. I was getting ChatGPT to make all of these micro-decisions, and that felt like it was rewiring my brain.
“I stopped using it in my personal life when I caught myself using AI to text my friends. It didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel human.”
While also holding concerns, university student Donald believed the tech industry was developing better protections against deepfakes and misinformation.
“The misinformation and deepfake problem is real, but I’m hopeful. Industry is already responding, and we’re already building tech that can verify content. People are also getting savvier about spotting what’s fake.”
Dr Denejkina said the report also highlighted significant gender disparities in how AI is perceived and utilised.
“The report finds that a concerning AI gender gap is forming. Only 20% of young women feel skilled in using AI compared to 41% of young men, and men are twice as likely as women to feel confident or very confident in using GenAI tools (50% vs 24% respectively).”
Creative theft, misinformation, and job displacement top the list of concerns for young Australians. Almost seven in ten (67%) Gen Zs expressed concerns about the theft of creative work to train AI, with women holding significantly higher levels of concern than men (73% vs 59%).
Dr Denejkina said the report also reveals that while AI is widely perceived as a tool for cheating and plagiarism, the reality is quite different.
“Despite public fears, our findings show that Gen Zs are not using AI to cheat as much as we might think. More than four in five (82%) Gen Z students said they would not use AI to plagiarise in the future, regardless of how they have used these tools in the past.”
But beyond academic use, Gen Zs are also using AI in unexpected ways, particularly as a source of companionship and life advice.
“For some, AI has become a sounding board, a way to vent, reflect, or seek advice without fear of judgment. This is particularly true for those who feel isolated or those going through stressful situations.”
With AI rapidly evolving and becoming more embedded in daily life, Dr Denejkina said urgent attention is needed to address the emerging AI gender gap.
“There is a risk that AI could deepen existing inequalities if we don’t take steps to ensure women are equipped with the skills and confidence to engage with these tools.”
Despite their concerns, many Gen Zs showed clear-eyed awareness of both the benefits and potential consequences of using GenAI.
Jacinta said, “GenAI tools can be powerful, but overusing them can dull your ability to think critically. For me, that was the biggest red flag.”
Donald added, “AI has supercharged the way we work, but it’s on us to keep the human element front and centre. In our personal and professional lives, we can’t afford to become over-reliant.”
The full report is available here: ‘From Gen Z to GenAI: The Impact, Opportunities and Challenges of Generative AI for Young Australians,’
Key Generative AI Insights
- Generative AI use is nearly universal among Gen Zs, with 90% having used it equally across men and women, with ChatGPT as the top tool.
- Gen Zs use GenAI for study, skills development, searches and even conversation, ranging from entertainment to emotional support.
- Seven in ten Gen Zs say they have never and would never use GenAI to plagiarise, while just one in ten admit they have and would again.
- Men in Gen Z are far more likely than women to feel skilled and confident using GenAI tools.
- Men are also more likely than women to hold a positive view of GenAI and the broader industry.
- Gen Z sees Generative AI’s biggest benefits as convenience and skill-building, and its main risks as cheating, misinformation and lack of originality.
- Seven in ten Gen Zs, especially women and creatives, worry about Australian creative work being used without consent to train GenAI.
- Four in five Gen Zs are deeply concerned about deepfakes, with the highest concern among women and those aged 18 to 21.
- Almost one in three Gen Zs have reconsidered their study or career path due to GenAI, often pivoting toward tech to future-proof jobs.
- Only a third of Gen Zs feel confident using GenAI, but most know they need better prompting skills, tutorials and info on trustworthiness.