Young Aussies drive AI adoption despite job security fears

New research from YouGov, commissioned by Microsoft, has found that young Australians are heavily involved in adopting artificial intelligence in the workplace, despite expressing concerns about the effects of the technology on job security.

Workplace adoption

The study, which surveyed 575 early-career professionals in Australia, reported that 71% of young Australians were worried that AI could reduce the number of available jobs, a figure that rises to 87% among those employed in the finance sector. Despite these worries, eight in ten stated that their AI skills had increased their visibility and influence within their organisations.

Data from the "Ctrl+Career: How Gen Z are redefining success at work with AI" report revealed that many young professionals are not only using AI, but also shaping how it is deployed in their workplaces.

The survey showed that 83% said senior leaders had asked them for assistance or advice in using AI, with 78% having introduced an AI tool, workflow, shortcut, or "hack" that was later taken up more widely in their organisation. Furthermore, 61% reported developing or customising an AI agent themselves to automate parts of their job.

"These numbers are not about hype; they are about capability. Mutual mentoring at scale and hands-on AI innovation harnesses the bottom-up energy," said Sarah Carney, National Technology Officer, Microsoft ANZ. "Leaders need to create a culture that encourages learning across all their teams to accelerate AI adoption and fuel innovation."

Access inequality

The research also found disparities in access to AI tools across sectors. Thirty percent of young workers reported that their employer did not provide them with access to AI tools. The gap was most pronounced in the education, healthcare, and public sectors where between 14% and 15% of workers said AI use was entirely prohibited. By comparison, only 2% of young workers in finance, telecoms, and technology reported similar restrictions.

Additionally, 21% of respondents said that while their employers did not provide official access, they were permitted to use publicly available AI tools, raising concerns about data security and confidentiality.

"AI should be a launchpad for every worker, not a privilege for a few. Especially for young professionals whose entire careers will be shaped by how they harness AI," said Carney. "Even in heavily regulated sectors, the answer isn't to stand still; it's to adopt AI safely and responsibly, because there is also the risk of doing nothing."

Confidence and learning

AI has become a regular support tool for young professionals, with 38% saying they use AI as their main resource to learn new concepts. Seventy-nine percent credited AI with improving their professional communication, and 74% said it helped them feel more confident during presentations after they used it to prepare and refine their ideas. Meanwhile, 72% felt more able to learn and solve problems independently using AI.

While 40% of young workers turn to AI first for a confidence boost, 64% consult their manager over higher-stakes issues, such as workplace dynamics and risks.

"Presenting in front of colleagues or pitching an idea at work for the first time is always nerve-wracking - but Gen Z has a secret weapon that we didn't: AI in their corner as a personal hype squad," added Carney. "AI should be a sparring partner to test and polish ideas, not just to do things faster. It's a way to build confidence and walk into the room more prepared."

Critical thinking and caution

The report also highlighted Gen Z's critical stance towards AI. While 88% said AI let them devote more time to strategic or creative work by reducing repetitive tasks, 49% said they no longer learned new content as deeply as before AI was introduced into their routine. Still, 92% expressed confidence in their ability to challenge AI-generated results, and only 28% said they regularly used AI for feedback and coaching.

"Our first AI-fluent generation is moving fast with technology, but with eyes wide open," said Carney. "Organisations that build frameworks for AI-driven critical thinking will see stronger capabilities. This means treating AI as a thought partner, not an answer machine: interrogating suggestions, testing counter-arguments, and fostering transparency around reasoning. We need to create a culture where it's normal to say, 'I asked AI for input, but here's where I challenged it.'"

Experiences from the workplace

Young professionals across industries shared their experiences of AI in the workplace. Hyejun Park, Associate, Audit and Assurance at Grant Thornton Australia, said, "At first, my manager was wary about using AI in our audits. I showed him how I was using a tool to spot anomalies in financial records. After a quick demo, he said, 'Keep using that.' Now it's part of how our whole team works together. It was cool to see my experiment turn into a team-wide improvement, and it definitely opened my manager's mind."

Kiara Morris, Construction Lawyer at Minter Ellison, noted, "AI has been like a practice coach for me. I can throw questions at it and simulate tough scenarios in court. As a junior lawyer, that's invaluable, it's helped me anticipate what might come up and walk into real situations with much more confidence."

Jett Potter, Consultant at Minter Ellison, added, "I use an AI assistant as a second set of eyes on almost everything I write. By the time my draft reaches my manager, it's already been reviewed and refined by AI, for tone, logic, gaps. My work gets knocked back less because I've pre-vetted it with these AI helpers before any human sees it."