How has AI and tech changed your life? Australians share their stories

By Annabel Bowles

By Maddie Nixon

Topic:AI

Technology is creeping into every facet of our lives. Whether it is for better or for worse is in the eye of the beholder, but it is certainly here to stay.

Australians are grappling with the prospect of AI replacing jobs, breaching privacy, and creating misinformation and digital exclusion, while also developing technology designed to make everyday tasks easier.

We heard your stories and experiences in our live blog below, plus put your questions to Curtin University cybersecurity expert Mihai Lazarescu and the ABC's AI reporter Cam Wilson.

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Q&A

By Annabel Bowles

That's where we'll wrap up today's blog. Thanks for taking part!

We received a huge number of comments and questions and while we haven't been able to get to them all, we really appreciate you sending them in.

There's plenty more to unpack on these issues, so stay tuned to the ABC News website, where we'll continue to navigate these stormy seas together.

By Maddie Nixon

We're about to wrap up our live blog for today.

But let's take a moment to tally the poll votes, all 7.4k of them!

What do you see as the biggest threat to you or your family?

By Maddie Nixon

My main concern with AI at the moment is the environmental impact of data centres that AI use. The ongoing resource demand of data centres for electricity and water risk accelerating the effects of climate change. Is there anyway we can ensure that we contribute relatively less or not at all to this environmental degradation? And what planning guardrails are in place in Australia to prevent this?

- Edward

Thanks for the question Edward. Here is what AI reporter Cam Wilson has to say:

You're not the only one worried about this! Power is probably the thorniest issue facing policy makers right now. Water, too, is a concern although I would say not to quite the same scale.

It boils down (no pun intended) to the fact that AI needs an enormous amount of power to be trained and to run. It's a huge, unanswered question about whether we can source enough power to feed all the data centres that companies are proposing, let alone sourcing that new capacity with renewables.

The Albanese government first said its proposed AI rules would require large data centres to bring enough new grid capacity to make up for their demand. Recently, it's been saying that this new capacity needs to be renewables. It's facing a fight with the states, and potentially the data centre sector too, so it's far from guaranteed.

By Annabel Bowles

Many of you have been sharing your concerns about AI, from its impact on critical thinking to how much you tell us it's being used in universities.

Charles

I am concerned about skills loss, from outsourcing certain tasks to AI and reduction in critical thinking. Getting AI to rewrite your emails etc quicker than writing yourself etc.

Naomi

As a teacher, I am concerned about the impact that AI will have on society's critical thinking skills. Social media has already impacted our attention spans, and now AI is able to complete high cognitive tasks at the click of a button. How can we as a society protect our minds, and foster a culture of learning and cognitive resilience?

As a Masters student at university, it is really concerning how professors are encouraging us to use AI for everything, including assessments, and telling us that we are falling behind if we don't use AI. A lot of my classmates are entirely reliant on AI to complete all their work and will likely graduate with a degree and high marks without putting in effort.

By Annabel Bowles

Quite a few of you have brought up Google's AI-generated search results. It's certainly one of the ways AI is appearing in our day-to-day lives, even when we don't seek it out.

Mick

I set pub quizzes, so I often search for information. On multiple occasions, Google's AI has attempted to thwart my research, usually by not understanding the clearly stated question.

Juliet

Is there any way to avoid using the Google AI function, or to turn it off?

Carmen

In reference to Maya's comment about over-reliance on AI for such normal things as a Google search, I agree. The problem is, you can't even do a Google search without it being in your face. It's the first thing that comes up in the results!

By Annabel Bowles

What a shame we’ve set up a society in which less overall work for humans is a BAD thing! Why can’t AI do my boring job while I relax, create, connect with friends and family? There is enough for everybody if we can only get distribution right.

- Fay

I'm sure many would agree that sounds like a dream, Fay.

By Annabel Bowles

While AI is fast becoming ubiquitous in everyday life, there's still limited evidence it has caused widespread job losses.

That's according to a recent Deloitte report, which dubbed 2026 "the year of AI" and offered hope to some occupations it predicts will see a stronger demand when combined with AI.

Those jobs, which are listed below, includes roles like CEOs, teachers and nurses where "AI can boost productivity, but the human element is still critical," Deloitte Access Economics partner David Rumbens said.

However, the list of jobs most exposed to AI has also grown.

What was once concentrated in clerical and administrative roles now extends into professional and managerial occupations, many requiring higher levels of education and expertise.

You can read more of this story by the ABC's national work reporter Bronwyn Herbert.

Key Event

By Maddie Nixon

My manager has advised that our calls will soon be recorded for preparing training data. I'm concerned about giving my voice, my words, to my workplace and AI vendors to have ownership over. Can workplaces own our words, and can this part of our identity just be harvested and given away?

- Sam

As workplaces integrate AI into everyday technology, people are weighing up the benefits versus concerns. ABC's AI reporter Cam Wilson has answered this question from Sam.

That's an interesting (and a little unsettling) one! The short answer is there might not be a lot you can do.

The longer answer is there's a bit of law that can impact recording for AI training. Some Australian states have laws against one person in a conversation recording the other without permission. There's Australia's privacy law, which essentially rules that, most of the time, data can only be used for the purpose that it is collected for. But if your boss has told you about it and made it clear it's for training AI models, neither of those protections would apply.

My suggestion would be to ask for as much information as possible about what they're collecting and for what purpose. Then you can go see your union or community legal centre for some advice. Also, please send me an email because I am very interested in this, too!

By Maddie Nixon

We've been talking a lot about how new technology has been impacting Australians.

But what about when they lose access to old technology?

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman recently made several recommendations for how telcos, government and regulators could improve services in regional areas, after analysing 27,000 complaints made over two years.

The complaints included a loss of coverage since the 3G network was shut off, unacceptable delays in connections and repairs, and concerns about Triple Zero (000).

ABC's Lauren Pezet spoke to NSW resident Gerry McLaughlin.

Living on the Princes Highway on the NSW South Coast, Mr McLaughlin's reception can be patchy, but when it does drop out he can still call 000.

So, it came as a shock earlier this year when he spotted a new satellite symbol on his phone.

"It said this function only has the ability to send text messages, move to an area of mobile coverage if you need to ring Triple Zero," he said.

He was concerned calling may no longer be an option, especially given he is in a bushfire-prone area that was razed during the Black Summer bushfires.

"I rang [Telstra] up and they told me that if you need emergency service, just text a friend and get them to call it."

Let us know if you have any questions about mobile coverage or the digital divide.

And, you can read the rest of this story from Lauren here:

By Annabel Bowles

I'm 71 yrs old and love the aspects of AI that I use. Yes I realise there are concerns and issues that need to be worked out, regulations etc but I prefer to see the positive aspects of it ... I use it for a lot of research in every aspect of life ... I also use it for writing short poems and restoring old photos.

- Anita Cavanagh

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Anita!

Maybe AI has helped bridge the digital divide in some ways?

Key Event

By Maddie Nixon

In my circles AI is derided and mocked. I hope the bubble bursts soon. Do any of you feel it'll become integral to our lives in the same way email and mobile phones have?

- Jay

Thank you, Jay. The ABC's AI reporter Cam Wilson has tackled this one for you.

There are definitely a lot of strong feelings about AI at the moment! I suspect the raft of highly visible, AI-powered features being shoved into a lot of popular apps and products is probably contributing to this.

My guess is that AI, specifically the generative AI tech that's been popularised in the past three years, will be a big part of computing for a long time to come. And, as it becomes more ubiquitous, it'll also fade into the background like other forms of computing.

Like, we don't talk about the neural networks in mobile phone cameras processing, we just say "oh my camera is better in low light". Similarly, I think we'll just be like "here's a new app" or "here's a new feature".

By Maddie Nixon

Every time I hear of an issue with AI; be it breaking out of containment or replacing humans; I have flashbacks to Terminator and Skynet.

- Darryl

You're not the only one, Darryl.

By Annabel Bowles

How can we ensure that AI does not return content (or worse make decisions) based primarily on companies that pay the AI provider the most to search their data. Eg: similar pricing model to search engines. In short, how can we avoid bias based on profit.

- Ian Bertram

Good question, Ian! Associate Professor Lazarescu has an answer below.

There is no way to avoid bias in the results, and yes, money will be a big factor.

It is, in my opinion, a critical issue with all the models that are being trained in the sense that one can manipulate the training to get a specific outcome.

To make matters worse, the vetting of the training data is non-existent. The models just read in what they are "fed" and no-one has the means or time to check if the data is correct or valid.

My advice is to take everything that the AI generates with a mountain of salt.

By Maddie Nixon

How can I talk to friends who have become overly reliant on AI bots for work and life? It’s getting increasingly harder to sell the ethical standpoint when their convenience wins out.

- T

AI reporter Cam Wilson has dived into this question for us.

It's a good question! We know Australians are increasingly using AI as companions or for emotional support, particularly younger generations.

Some of those do prefer AI companionship over people at times. A YouGov study says close to one in four gen Z would sometimes prefer to stay home and talk to a chatbot over a person.

That's not necessarily a problem or something unique to AI. I'll dob myself in and say there's been (plenty of) times when I've stayed in rather than go out to watch a movie. But, clearly at some point, over-reliance on AI as a companion can become a problem.

I don't have the answer for how to interact with someone who prefers to talk to AI rather than a person, but I do know that — if trends of use continue — this will become something we'll all need to grapple with.

(By the way, I'd love to hear from you if you are someone who prefers AI to people, or if you know someone who feels this way.)

By Maddie Nixon

Last week, OpenAI announced it was introducing ChatGPT for Teens.

"An experience designed to help teens learn, think critically, deepen understanding, and use AI with confidence," it says.

The company claims it includes "stronger built-in safety protections" and "additional controls for parents".

The announcement comes amid growing concerns about the impacts of AI chatbots on young people and their mental health, as well as ongoing lawsuits in the US.

AI chatbots are not included in Australia's teen social media ban.

So ChatGPT's new platform, targeted at 13- to 17-year-olds, will be available to Australian teenagers.

What do you think about teenagers having access to AI chatbots? Drop us a comment in the field above.

By Annabel Bowles

Are there currently any regulations around AI implementation into day to day applications (eg. AI assistant on banking websites, are they restricted in what data they can view?). Is there a way of opting out of AI in these scenarios without engaging with the chatbot itself?

- Erika

Associate Professor Lazarescu has an answer for you, Erika.

"To the best of my knowledge, the Privacy Act applies to anything that a bot should have access to. Unfortunately, this is not a guarantee, and I would not rely on regulations to be effective at all," he said.

Associate Professor Lazarescu says if people are worried AI is being used in applications without their consent, they should raise those concerns with the service provider.

"Without public action, things will go on as they have until now," he said.

By Annabel Bowles

As someone, very much in my senior years, I find it very frustrating having to constantly use and change passwords to access just about everything. I say bring back the letters and the good old reliable Post Office. It also keeps people in a good job.

- John Gill

You raise a good point, John!

There's nothing quite like getting an old-fashioned letter in the mail (apart from bills, of course).

By Annabel Bowles

On the topic of data centres, Gary has posed the question on whether they could be built next to sewerage plants and use recycled water to operate.

Gary

Would it be appropriate for data centres to be constructed next to sewerage treatment plants? The corporation who owns the data centre can pay for the water recycling plant and use the recycled water to cool the centre. It should be a binding Commonwealth law that no water from the Artesian Basin, river or dam water be used to cool these complexes. Recycled wastewater only.

Is a data centre being built near your home? Let us know what you think in the comment section above!

By Annabel Bowles

You may have seen the news today that the federal government is raising the issue of data centres at a national cabinet meeting this week.

The government is expected to settle new rules for how data centres use energy and water in Australia.

However, the Queensland state government says it will not sign on to a standard that requires data centres to purchase their power from renewable projects, at the exclusion of coal and gas.

The NT government has also expressed opposition to the federal plan.

Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the government would proceed whether it gets state support or not.

"Queensland wants to take an open slather approach, let data centres be data centres approach. We don't agree with that," he said.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said data centre deals must be done with the backing of councils and communities.

"This is about data sovereignty for our country, it's about respecting communities' wishes and resources, and it's about creating the jobs of tomorrow while protecting the Queensland of today," he said.

You can read more of this story below:

Key Event

By Annabel Bowles

It's clear not everyone is in the anti-AI camp. Stephen Pech from Adelaide is one person we've heard from who believes AI has a lot of potential to make our lives better, particularly in healthcare.

He's working to develop AI-powered technology designed to detect osteoporosis and coronary disease in regular chest x-rays, which is currently being studied in conjunction with Flinders University.

"It's really about proactive, preventative medicine," he said.

"We're taking a chest x-ray that you would have had for a completely different reason, for example a respiratory issue or an injury. While that's being looked at for that reason, we're also looking at it for other reasons.

"AI is able to look and find issues that are not easy or not possible to find."

While Stephen is an advocate for the positives of AI, he also thinks society needs to proceed with caution.

"I'm enormously bullish that there is huge benefits that can be pulled from AI," he said.

"But as a father and as a person in society, I am worried. It needs to be regulated.

"You can't put it back in a bottle. There does need to be smart controls.

"Government regulation and society needs to move at a pace that it's ready for."

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