The technology is being linked to job losses and economic displacement
The majority of Australians believe artificial intelligence creates more problems than it solves, citing its impact on employment, according to a new poll from Roy Morgan.
The poll revealed that 65% of Australians agreed that AI "creates more problems than it solves," up by eight percentage points since 2023.
Some 14% of the respondents cited AI's impact on job losses and economic displacement as one of the reasons for their perspective on the technology.
"Many link AI to job insecurity, warning that automation is replacing people across creative, service and administrative roles," the Roy Morgan report read.
A higher 20% cited AI's impact on the loss of critical thinking and creativity, fearing that the technology weakens independent thought and learning, especially among young people.
"Making processes faster is not always better, we risk losing human creativity," one of the respondents said in the report.
Other reasons for their negative perspective on AI include:
- Accuracy and hallucinations (19%)
- Environmental impact (18%)
- Misinformation and deepfakes (17%)
Australians' personal viewpoints
Meanwhile, a personal viewpoint on AI softens the respondents' perspective on the technology, the report found.
Only 61% of the respondents personally believe AI creates more problems than it solves, down from the 65% overall perspective.
Job threats ranked higher in the respondents' reasons for thinking AI creates more problems, with 18%.
"It undermines the value of human labour," one of the respondents said.
Other reasons why Australians personally believe AI creates more problems than it solves are:
- Accuracy and reliability issues (22%)
- Misinformation, scams, and deepfakes (15%)
- Dependency and laziness (11%)
- Privacy and surveillance risks (10%)
"That gap between optimism and anxiety highlights a national tension: Australians are eager to harness the power of AI but remain deeply aware that its success depends on trust, transparency and human oversight," said Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine in a statement.
AI's impact on jobs
The findings come as employers implement headcount reductions as they further embed AI in their workflows. The Productivity Commission also warned that AI adoption may mean a "painful" transition for some workers whose roles are made redundant.
Jobs and Skills Australia, however, previously noted that AI tools are more likely to augment work instead of replacing workers.
"Current Gen AI technologies are more likely to enhance workers' efforts in completing tasks, rather than replace them, especially in high-skilled occupations," it said.
