Lowy Poll Finds Most Australians Wary of AI

A October Lowy Institute survey found 65 per cent of Australians are cautious about artificial intelligence, as federal standards on AI conduct are unveiled.

Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Lowy Poll Finds Most Australians Wary of AI

Live Poll

Do you think AI will make life better or worse for people like you?

The October Lowy Institute survey found 65 per cent of respondents were cautious of AI, unchanged from a March survey and up from 52 per cent in 2024. The federal government has unveiled AI standards that could see tech companies face criminal charges if they fail to prevent harmful conduct.

Why it matters

Support for the view that AI benefits outweigh risks to society fell from 45 per cent to 33 per cent, and Pew Research Centre found Australians among the most likely worldwide to say AI concerns rather than excites them. The standards followed an OpenAI agent breaching a Medicare statistics website.

The Lowy Institute survey of Australians found 65 per cent cautious of AI in October, while 36 per cent were comfortable with Australian businesses using AI sourced from US firms and fewer than a quarter were comfortable with AI sourced from China. It remains unclear from the survey how these attitudes will translate into business or policy decisions.

The players

Lowy Institute

An Australian independent think tank that publishes public opinion research on foreign policy and international affairs.

OpenAI

A United States artificial intelligence research company that developed the ChatGPT chatbot.

The details

Several plans for major data centres to service AI applications have been shelved after community opposition, and job cuts at large employers such as the big banks have been linked to AI rollout. The Reserve Bank has flagged that AI-related investment could push up input costs and add to capacity pressures.

March 2024: earlier survey recorded 52 per cent of respondents cautious of AI.
March: earlier survey showed 65 per cent cautious of AI.
October: Lowy Institute survey found 65 per cent cautious of AI.

Big Picture

Pew Research Centre's global surveys found Australians among the most likely worldwide to say AI concerns them rather than excites them, and the Lowy survey's 65 per cent cautious figure is consistent with that pattern. The pattern has grown since 2024, when 52 per cent were cautious.

The federal AI standards could make tech companies liable for harmful conduct on their platforms, which may affect the AI tools Australians use at work and at home. Rollout of AI is also being linked to job cuts, so employees in exposed sectors may feel the change first.

The takeaway

Public attitudes to AI in Australia have grown more cautious over two years, which may shape how businesses and government roll out the technology. Readers can track how the new standards are applied as they take effect.