A new poll shows most Australians are wary of artificial intelligence, but not for the reasons many might expect.
The survey was conducted by JWS Research between August 6 and August 10. It polled 1,230 people and was shared exclusively with POLITICO.
The results show 44% of Australians view AI as a risk. Only 17% see it as an opportunity. Another 28% feel conflicted, and 10% remain unsure.
Tom Cameron, JWS strategy and insights manager, said the findings do not reflect a simple tech panic. He described the public mood as cautious rather than fearful.
About half of respondents want the country to move slowly on AI. Only around a fifth want faster adoption.
The poll also found differences across age and gender. Women over 55 were more likely than average to see AI as risky, at 56%. Men aged 18 to 34 were the most optimistic group, at 31%.
Voters for the Greens and One Nation shared similar caution, at 58% and 53%.
What Worries People Most
Cameron said the biggest concern was not job losses. It was misinformation and deepfakes.
Privacy and data misuse ranked close behind. Job losses came in below both.
The findings follow comments from former Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers. He told POLITICO that Australia's next election, expected between late 2027 and early 2028, will likely face a wave of AI-driven mis- and disinformation.
Rogers said digital literacy programs need to expand quickly. He placed this ahead of new laws or content moderation as the more urgent priority.
Nearly a third of respondents, 29%, also worried that AI could make harmful decisions without human oversight. This concern connects to memory of the Robodebt scheme, which used automated decision-making without proper checks and harmed hundreds of thousands of welfare recipients. Robodebt did not use AI, but the episode left lasting distrust of automated systems in government.
Data Centers Not Yet A Major Concern
The Australian government has taken several steps on AI policy in recent months.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced new standards for large data centers in July. These include requirements for centers to fund their own power supply, cover connection costs, and reduce energy use during peak grid demand.
Albanese also created a new Office for AI to coordinate government work on the technology. A parliamentary committee formed in August will review how AI affects national security, productivity, and living standards.
Despite growing data center debates in the United States, the same backlash has not reached Australia yet. Fewer than 1% of respondents named data centers when asked what the government should focus on.
When asked directly about data centers, only 3% said they had no concerns at all. The top worries were electricity demand and prices, followed by water use and environmental impact.
Cameron noted that about a fifth of respondents had never heard of data centers before taking the survey, leaving the topic open for whoever defines it first in public debate.
