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The gap between Australian businesses and the next generation of workers regarding the use of generative AI technology is rapidly widening, according to a new survey report compiled by Deloitte.
A new study from professional services firm Deloitte has found that more than a quarter of Australia’s economy faces immediate and significant disruption from generative artificial intelligence – equating to almost $600 billion in upended economic activity.
Yet so far only 1.4 per cent of all Australian businesses and less than 10 per cent of the country’s larger employers have officially adopted the fast-growing technology.
“Leaders like me need to accept that this is real and recognize that our role is to harness and lead the responsible application of generative artificial intelligence, rather than turning a blind eye or resisting change by prohibiting its use,” said Deloitte CEO Adam Powick. “We need to rapidly educate ourselves about the potential and implications of generative AI in our environment and actively support the adoption, innovation and sharing of ideas and concepts across our organizations.”
“Generation AI: Ready or not, here we come!” (Generation AI: Ready or not, here we come!), developed by Deloitte Access Economics and Deloitte AI Institute! The report surveyed more than 2,500 individuals about their current usage, including more than 500 students and 2,000 workers in 18 industries. According to the findings, the former group is almost twice as likely to use GenAI tools as those currently employed, at 58 percent overall, compared to just under one-third of workers.
Deloitte Access Economics partner John O’Mahony noted that the disparity in adoption rates between students and incumbents prompted the report’s title, “GenAI.”
“It says a lot – businesses need to prepare for this new generation of AI users – tech-savvy young people who regularly use Gen AI to study, live and work. They will undoubtedly change the way work is done and test how new technologies can transform businesses from the inside out.”
Another notable finding was that of the 32 percent of workers who were already using GenAI to some degree in the workplace, about two-thirds believed their managers were still unaware that such tools were being used. Additionally, Deloitte points to a previous international study that currently ranks Australia second out of fourteen leading economies for business deployment of Gen AI, despite more than 3,000 tools now available.
“Individuals are naturally adopting technology faster than businesses – but Gen AI has seen this happen faster than ever before, widening the gap between the business and its workforce,” said Deloitte AI Institute Leader Kellie Nuttall, who was recently appointed National Strategy Director and trade. design. “Yes, it leads to a destructive threat; but it leads to an even greater opportunity. Let’s not forget that businesses are made up of many individuals, each with the power to disrupt.”
In addition to the survey, Deloitte analysts mapped the local industries expected to face the most immediate and profound “short fuse, big bang” disruption from GenAI, which included the professional services domain alongside ICT and media, finance and education. This is partly because these are generally attractive sectors for a younger cohort that has already adopted AI tools, with daily users expected to double over the next five years.
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