Australian businesses are adopting AI fast — but trust is the sticking point
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd · · Updated
Local adoption keeps climbing and Canberra is moving on AI standards. The businesses holding back mostly name one reason: trust.
The short version
- The National AI Centre's tracker put Australian SME AI adoption at 43% for the December-to-February quarter, its highest in months.
- Large enterprises are above 80%, mid-market around 60% and small businesses closer to 40%, and about two-thirds of those holding back cite distrust.
- Wanting humans in control is the correct instinct, so keep people across every decision that matters.
The latest Australian adoption figures tell two stories at once. AI use among Australian SMEs keeps climbing, and the federal government is moving too.
How fast are Australian businesses adopting AI?
The National AI Centre's own tracker put AI adoption among Australian SMEs at 43% over the December-to-February quarter, its highest in months. The federal government is moving too, with a new Office of AI and plans to legislate Australian AI standards.
But the size gap is stark. Adoption in large enterprises sits above 80%, mid-market businesses around 60%, and small businesses closer to 40%.
Why are some Australian businesses holding back on AI?
The most common reason isn't cost or capability. Among businesses holding back, about two-thirds cite distrust of AI decision-making, or simply wanting to keep humans in control.
Is wanting humans in control a problem for AI projects?
No, wanting humans in control isn't a barrier to doing this well. It's the correct instinct. The AI projects that stick are the ones where people stay across every decision that matters, and the automation handles the repetitive work underneath them.
That's how we build: your tools, your data staying in your systems, your team trained to own the result, and a human in the loop wherever judgement is involved.
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