Australian parents use AI to juggle care & privacy fears

TrendLife has published research showing Australian parents in the so-called Sandwich Generation are using artificial intelligence to help manage both children and older relatives.

The study found many are doing so despite strong concerns about privacy and misinformation.

The survey covered 1,030 Australian adults who use general-purpose AI tools at least once or twice a month, have at least one school-aged child aged five to 17 living at home who also uses AI, and are in regular contact with a relative aged 60 or older.

Among that group, 53% said they share at least some personal information with AI when seeking help about a family member, including a child's social or health situation or a parent's health or finances. At the same time, 45% said they were very or extremely concerned those details could be exposed, stored or misused.

Privacy and security of family data was the most common concern, cited by 58% of respondents. That was followed by the accuracy of AI-generated results at 47% and over-reliance on the technology at 45%.

Balancing demands

The findings point to a growing role for AI in day-to-day household organisation among parents supporting more than one generation at once. In the past six months, 31% said they had frequently used AI to help both their children and older family members.

Shopping was the most common use, mentioned by 56% of respondents. Half said they use AI to help their children with schoolwork, while 42% use it for meal planning, 40% for travel, 37% for finances and 34% for scheduling medical appointments, school events or activities.

The study also suggests some families feel pressure to keep pace with the technology. About 34% of parents said they were very or extremely concerned their family could be left behind socially, professionally or financially if they did not continue developing their use of AI.

Accuracy risks

Concerns about misinformation were especially pronounced when older relatives were involved. Some 38% said they had worried in the past six months that an older parent or relative had received inaccurate or misleading information from an AI tool.

Of that group, 9% said the issue led to a significant problem or negative outcome. Among respondents reporting such outcomes, 45% pointed to emotional distress and 39% cited medical harm or a delay in seeking care.

The results indicate that trust in AI for everyday support is rising even as anxiety about its reliability remains high. The tension is especially acute in households where parents are managing competing responsibilities across generations.

The Australian findings were part of a broader global study covering 6,695 respondents across six markets. TrendLife said the local results reflect AI-engaged Australian families rather than the wider population.

Lynette Owens, vice president of consumer education at TrendLife, outlined the risks facing households that rely on AI for family matters.

"Families are asking AI to help them with things that matter, from a child's health to their parent's finances. But confidence in an AI tool is not enough to ensure the safety and privacy of your family. Be a minimalist with what you share with AI, double-check anything important it replies with, talk with relatives old and young about how they use it and consider features or tech tools that help to protect your personal information," Owens said.

TrendLife also set out practical steps for users, including avoiding the entry of personal, financial or sensitive health details into AI tools unless they understand how the information is handled, and verifying important medical or financial advice produced by such systems.

It advised parents to speak openly with children and older relatives about how they use AI and when they should seek additional guidance. Another recommendation was to look for products that can limit exposure of personal information and allow users to opt out of having their data used to train AI models.

Those recommendations come as consumer-facing AI tools are more widely used for routine household tasks, from planning meals and trips to managing appointments and assisting with schoolwork. The research suggests that for many Australian families, convenience is now being weighed directly against concerns about data handling, misinformation and the consequences of relying on automated advice.

The methodology states the study was conducted online among adults aged 18 and over who already use AI regularly and live in households where both school-aged children and older relatives are part of everyday decision-making.