Older workers sceptical as AI trust divides Australia

Amplitude has published Australian research showing a sharp generational divide in trust in artificial intelligence at work. The findings point to lower trust among older workers, who are more likely to hold leadership roles.

The survey found that 31% of workers aged 18 to 24 trust AI recommendations over their own judgement, compared with 4% of those aged 55 to 64. Daily use also varied by age, with 39% of the youngest group using AI tools every day in their job, compared with 20% of the oldest group.

The figures suggest AI adoption is moving faster among junior staff than senior decision-makers, a pattern that could limit how deeply organisations embed the technology in day-to-day work.

Across the wider workforce, trust in AI outputs remained low. On a scale of one to five, the mean trust score at work was 2.59. Half of respondents said they trusted their own judgement more than AI, while 15% said they trusted AI more.

Organisational uptake also appeared limited. Only 8% of respondents described their organisation as AI-driven. Another 48% said their employer was improving its use of AI but still had further to go, while 24% said their organisation rarely used AI at all.

Use of AI tools was common but far from universal. The study found that 27% used AI daily and 33% a few times a week, while 24% used such tools only occasionally and 15% did not use AI at work.

Most use cases centred on routine information work rather than higher-stakes decisions. Writing or editing documents, emails and reports was the most common task at 44%, followed by summarising information at 38% and supporting data analysis or reporting at 31%.

By contrast, many respondents avoided AI in areas that required judgement. Some 28% said they avoided it for decision-making or strategic planning, 25% for data analysis or reporting, 22% for coding, debugging or technical work, and 20% for scheduling or meeting preparation.

Asked why they held back from using AI in those tasks, 34% said they preferred their own judgement or creativity, 32% cited a lack of trust in accuracy, 30% said outputs felt generic, and 29% pointed to the risk of confidentiality leaks.

Skills gap

The research also highlighted limited development of AI skills in many workplaces. One-third of respondents described themselves as beginners or unskilled, 34% said they were somewhat skilled, and only 6% considered themselves highly skilled.

For younger workers, learning often appeared to happen outside formal workplace structures. Among those aged 18 to 24, 40% said they mainly upskilled in AI outside work hours, compared with 32% who did so during work hours.

Mentoring was rare across all age groups. Just 5% of respondents said they developed AI skills through mentorship or peer learning, while 65% said they spent either no time or less than an hour a week learning or experimenting with AI tools.

That matters because expectations about AI's impact on jobs are already shifting. More than half of respondents, or 58%, said AI would meaningfully change demand for their role over the next five years, while 32% did not expect any change in demand for their job. A further 16% said AI users already had a career advantage.

Personal use of AI also appeared to shape behaviour at work. Nearly half of respondents, or 48%, said they agreed or strongly agreed that their personal use of AI had influenced how they used it in the workplace, while 23% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Workplace tension

The study also pointed to uneven effects on team dynamics. Although 45% said AI had not changed team dynamics, 18% reported colleagues competing to prove they were more AI-savvy, and 11% said non-users resented those who relied heavily on AI.

Those tensions were more visible among younger workers. Only 23% to 25% of people aged 18 to 34 reported no AI-related tension, compared with 64% to 66% of workers aged 55 and over.

The mismatch between use at junior levels and caution at senior levels could reduce the returns businesses get from AI projects. It could also deepen the country's shortage of AI skills if workers are left to experiment without clear direction from management.

Mark Drasutis, Head of Value, Asia Pacific and Japan at Amplitude, said the issue was less about access to tools than confidence in applying them. "The age-based discrepancy in trust around AI means senior decision-makers may inadvertently downplay its potential, limiting the value organisations derive from these tools," he said.

He said the broader economic effect could be lasting. "Without strategic implementation, AI is more likely to fall short of its goals. At a national level, this generational trust gap risks creating a structural adoption ceiling that restricts skills development and exacerbates Australia's existing AI skills shortage."