Last updated: July 2026
AI has gone from novelty to normal in Australia faster than almost anyone expected. Millions of us now ask AI the questions we used to type into Google, and a growing share of shopping, searching, and decision-making starts with a chatbot. Here’s what the latest numbers actually say, how Australia compares to the rest of the world, and what it means if you run a business here.
In 2026, well over half of Australians use AI tools regularly; Australia is adopting AI search faster than the global average, and a large share of people now start shopping and research with AI instead of a search engine. For businesses, that means being visible to AI is no longer optional.
The headline numbers
- 13.6 million Australians aged 14 and over use AI tools in an average four weeks (Roy Morgan).
- 48% of Australians have used AI assistants for online shopping, rising to 66% of under-45s (PayPal).
- Around 25% of Google searches now show an AI Overview, and Australia is tracking above the global average.
- ChatGPT leads in Australia with 10.5 million users, ahead of Gemini, Copilot, Canva and Claude (Roy Morgan).
- Being cited by AI now matters as much as ranking, because cited brands earn roughly 120% more clicks.
What’s in this guide
- Australia vs the world, at a glance
- How many Australians use AI?
- Which AI tools do Australians use most?
- AI and shopping in Australia
- AI search and Google AI Overviews
- AI adoption in Australian business
- The trust gap
- What this means for your business
- FAQs
Australia vs the world, at a glance
On most AI measures, Australia is keeping pace with or moving faster than the global average. Here are the headline numbers side by side. Where a clean Australian or worldwide figure doesn’t exist yet, we’ve said so rather than guess.
| Measure | Australia | Worldwide |
|---|---|---|
| Regular AI tool use | 58% of people aged 14+ (Roy Morgan) | 52% of US adults use LLMs (Elon University); no single global figure |
| Searches with an AI Overview | Tracking above the global average (exact figure not published) | Around 25% to 47%, depending on the study |
| Start shopping with AI | 48% (66% of under-45s) (PayPal) | 37% start searches with AI rather than a search engine |
| AI adoption by business | 44% of Australian SMEs (National AI Centre, Feb 2026); micro-businesses (1–4 staff) lag at ~33% | 88% of surveyed organisations globally use AI in some form, though this includes large enterprise (Stanford AI Index 2026) |
How many Australians use AI?
Depending on the survey, somewhere between 13 and 17 million Australians now use AI tools regularly, and the number has grown fast over the past year.
Roy Morgan found that 13.6 million Australians aged 14 and over used AI tools in an average four-week period in early 2026, which is 58% of that age group. [AU]
A separate study reported by IT Brief Australia put the figure higher, at 17.4 million Australians using AI, with the user base growing by more than 6 million over the year to 77% of Australians aged 16 and over, of whom 5.2 million use AI every day. [AU]
The two numbers differ because they use different age groups and survey methods, but the direction is the same: AI use in Australia has moved from experiment to habit. The age pattern is consistent too. According to Roy Morgan, usage is highest among Australians aged 25 to 34 (74%) and 35 to 49 (72%), ahead of 18 to 24 year olds (68%), then dropping to 50% for 50 to 64 and 31% for those 65 and over. [AU]
Which AI tools do Australians use most?
ChatGPT is the clear leader in Australia, used by around 10.5 million people, well ahead of the next tools. According to Roy Morgan, the Australian order is ChatGPT (10.5 million), then Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Canva Magic Studio, and Claude. [AU]
Worldwide, the picture depends on whether you look at business or consumer use. For B2B, one 2026 report put worldwide share at ChatGPT 62.6%, Claude 18.5%, Gemini 10.6%, Perplexity 7.3%, and Copilot around 4%. [Worldwide] For B2C, another found ChatGPT 54.7%, Gemini 27.4%, Claude 8.2%, DeepSeek 4.1%, Grok 2.8%, Perplexity 1.5%, and Copilot 1.3%. [Worldwide]
One Australian quirk worth noting: Australia uses Claude at more than four times the rate its population size would predict, ranking seventh globally on a per capita basis, according to the Anthropic Economic Index. That suggests Claude’s share within Australia is higher than the worldwide figure, though the exact local number isn’t published. [AU]
AI and shopping in Australia
Nearly half of Australians already use AI to help them shop, and most expect it to become a standard part of shopping soon.
PayPal found that 48% of Australians have used AI assistants for online shopping searches, rising to 66% among those under 45. [AU] An Omnisend survey of 1,027 Australian consumers found 55% use AI assistants such as ChatGPT for tasks including product research (34%), personalised recommendations (27%), and finding gift ideas (20%), and that 40% prefer ChatGPT over traditional search engines for product research. [AU]
Looking ahead, PayPal reports 78% of Australians expect AI shopping tools to become mainstream, and 53% plan to use them within the coming year. [AU] Confidence in AI recommendations is already fairly high, with 61% saying they’d trust AI to make product recommendations for them. [AU]
AI search and Google AI Overviews
Google AI Overviews now appear on roughly a quarter of searches, and Australia is adopting AI search faster than the global average.
AI Overviews, the AI-generated summaries at the top of Google results, rolled out in Australia in October 2024. Globally, coverage estimates range from around 25% of searches (Conductor’s analysis of 21.9 million queries put it at 25.11% in Q1 2026, up from about 13% a year earlier) up to 47% of searches on some measures, with Australian adoption tracking above the global average. [AU + Worldwide]
The figures vary because different studies measure different things (all searches versus tracked keywords versus informational queries), so it’s worth reading each number with its source in mind.
Here’s the part that matters most for business. When an AI Overview appears, organic click-through can fall by around 60% on those queries. But brands cited inside the AI Overview earn roughly 120% more clicks than uncited brands on the same query, and visitors who arrive from AI search spend around 68% more time on-site, according to industry analysis. [Worldwide] Being cited is the whole game.
And you don’t necessarily have to rank number one to be cited. According to Ahrefs, only 12% of URLs cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Copilot rank in Google’s top 10, and 80% of AI citations don’t rank in Google’s top 100 at all. AI Overviews are different, though: 76.1% of URLs cited in AI Overviews also rank in the top 10. [Worldwide] So traditional ranking still helps for Google’s own AI, but the standalone AI tools cite far more widely.
AI adoption in Australian business
Australian business adoption depends heavily on how you count it, with credible figures ranging from about 37% to 68%. The National AI Centre put small and medium business adoption at 44% in February 2026, while broader definitions covering all businesses run higher. [AU] The variation comes down to what counts as “adopting AI,” so treat any single figure with care.
The trust gap
Australians are happy to let AI help them research and shop, but far less comfortable letting it handle payment or personal data. A Logica Research survey for Commerce and PayPal found 63% of Australian shoppers are interested in trying AI shopping tools, but only 4% want AI assistance at the point of payment. [AU]
Privacy is the main brake. PayPal found 92% of Australians have at least one concern about AI shopping, with 64% specifically worried about the privacy and security of their details, and 30% saying they’d only use AI shopping from brands they already trust. [AU] That last point matters: trust in the brand is what unlocks AI-assisted buying, which is exactly what being a visible, credible, well-cited business helps build.
What this means for your business
The shift is clear: more of your customers are starting with AI, and if AI can’t find or trust your business, you’re missing from a growing share of decisions.
Australian consumers are ahead. Australian businesses may be behind.
A few practical takeaways from the numbers:
- Being cited beats being ranked. With cited brands earning around 120% more clicks, the goal is to be the source AI names, not just a link on page one.
- You don’t have to rank first to be cited by the standalone AI tools, but you do need to be findable, clear, and trustworthy.
- Trust is the currency. Australians lean on brands they already trust, so consistent, credible information about your business across the web genuinely moves the needle.
- Australian public is ahead, not behind. Moving now is an advantage, because local adoption is running above the global average
- Australian businesses may be behind – it seems most small businesses haven’t caught up yet.
This is exactly what GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) does: it structures your website so AI can read, trust, and cite it. If you’d like to see where you stand, our SEO and GEO audit shows you exactly that. If you’d rather do it yourself, our GEO checklists walk you through every step.
Our take: the numbers all point one way. Australians have quietly made AI part of how they find and choose businesses. The businesses that show up in those AI answers now will have a big advantage until everyone else catches up — Georgie, Fruitful Online
Frequently asked questions
How many Australians use AI?
Depending on the survey, between about 13.6 million (Roy Morgan) and 17.4 million (IT Brief Australia) Australians use AI tools regularly. That’s somewhere between 58% and 77% of adults, with the difference coming down to age groups and survey methods.
What is the most used AI tool in Australia?
ChatGPT, by a clear margin. Roy Morgan found around 10.5 million Australian users, ahead of Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Canva Magic Studio, and Claude.
How many Australians use AI for shopping?
PayPal found 48% of Australians have used AI assistants for online shopping searches, rising to 66% of those under 45.
Is Australia ahead of the world on AI?
On several measures, yes. Australian AI search adoption is tracking above the global average, and Australians use Claude at more than four times the rate their population size would predict.
Do AI Overviews really reduce website traffic?
They can. Organic click-through can fall around 60% on searches where an AI Overview appears. But brands cited inside the AI Overview earn roughly 120% more clicks than those left out, which is why being cited matters so much
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