Research from Google and Accenture suggests that an increasing number of Australians and businesses are using artificial intelligence, which may not come as a surprise. However, there is a significant disparity in the number of employees who feel equipped to use AI, and what C-suite executives perceive that number to be.
Google polled 1,000 Australians and found that 49% used generative AI in the last year, up from 38% in 2023. This rise is accompanied by a new level of optimism. The proportion of people who believe AI will benefit them increased by 6%, and the percentage who think it will change work for the better within five years rose by 7%.
Accenture surveyed 790 C-suite executives and 687 non-C-suite level employees across five Asia Pacific countries, including Australia, for its Pulse of Change report. A whopping 87% of the leaders said they planned to boost their AI investment in 2025, and 91% believe their employees are able to use the technology efficiently.
Employees feel differently, though: Only 70% feel prepared to make the most of AI at work. Furthermore, just 30% of them claim to understand the potential value of GenAI “to a great extent,” compared to 55% of APAC C-suite leaders.
While 70% of workers feel they have received adequate AI training, 91% of C-suite leaders believe their employees are set up to use it. This suggests the AI training being provided may not meet employees’ specific needs.
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The Accenture research also looked at employees’ concerns around AI, which may shine light on the areas where training should be focused. Non-users of AI at work cite concerns about inaccuracies (27%), lack of resources (26%), and integration struggles (22%).
AI skilling has been identified as a key gap in Australia, with many employees consistently saying their organisations talk about AI tools but do not invest in the people using them. The country needs 312,000 additional tech workers by 2030 to meet demand, or more than 60,000 new entrants annually in the tech workforce.
In December, Australia announced plans to develop a national AI strategy to strengthen its AI capa