13.6 Million Australians Now Use AI Every Day, Government Report Finds

Artificial intelligence has quietly become part of the daily routine for a huge share of the Australian population. A new report from Jobs and Skills Australia, the federal government agency that tracks the labour market, puts a number on that shift for the first time: an estimated 13.6 million Australians now use AI tools every day. The finding comes from the agency’s 2026 annual report, released on Tuesday, October 20, and it paints a picture of a country that has adopted AI far faster than most workplaces have planned for.

The report lands at a moment when Australia is debating how to regulate AI, from copyright rules for training data to safety standards for autonomous agents. The numbers suggest that debate is no longer theoretical: for millions of people, AI is already a work tool, a study aid and a source of everyday answers.

The headline numbers

The headline figure is the daily user count: 13.6 million people. That is more than half of Australia’s population using AI tools on a typical day, according to the agency’s survey work. The report frames the finding as evidence that AI use has moved well beyond early adopters and tech enthusiasts. It is now embedded in ordinary working life.

Jobs and Skills Australia tracks how work is changing, and its annual report guides where training money goes and which skill shortages need attention. A finding on this scale is therefore likely to shape funding decisions in the year ahead, particularly around digital skills programs.

Acting commissioner Trevor Gauld said in a media release accompanying the report that understanding shifts driven by AI will be critical to preparing Australia for workforce opportunities and challenges. The message is measured rather than alarmist: the change is already here, and the task now is to make sure workers can keep up with it.

Who uses AI most

As with most new technology, younger workers lead the way. The report found daily AI use is highest among Australians in their prime working years, with 74 per cent of people aged 25 to 34 and 72 per cent of those aged 35 to 49 reporting daily use. Those two age groups cover the bulk of the full-time workforce, which helps explain why employers are feeling the change so quickly.

The pattern makes sense when you think about where AI tools first took hold. People in their late twenties, thirties and forties are the ones writing reports, preparing presentations and managing projects, exactly the kinds of tasks where chatbots offer the most obvious shortcut.

The figures also hint at a gap worth watching. If daily use is concentrated among mid-career workers, older workers and people outside the formal workforce may be getting less exposure, and less support, to build the same skills. That gap could matter for hiring, since employers increasingly list AI familiarity as a desirable skill even in roles that are not technical.

What people actually use it for

The report breaks down what Australians do with AI tools, and the results are practical rather than flashy. More than 60 per cent of respondents said they use AI for information and advice, making it the most common use by a wide margin. Around 39 per cent said they use AI to generate content for work or study.

That split tells a useful story. The typical Australian AI user is not asking a chatbot to write a novel or generate art. They are asking it to explain something, summarise a document, draft an email or help with an assignment. In other words, AI has become a research assistant and a first draft machine before anything else.

This matters for the debate about AI and jobs. Tools that help people find information faster tend to change how work gets done rather than replace the worker outright. A public servant who uses AI to summarise a long submission still makes the decision, and a student who uses it to understand a concept still sits the exam.

Why the report matters for workers

The timing of the report is significant. Australian governments are currently weighing several AI policy questions at once, including the copyright settings for AI training, safety rules for advanced systems and the skills funding that will help workers adapt. Hard numbers about actual use give those debates a factual anchor.

For individual workers, the practical takeaway is straightforward. AI literacy is becoming a baseline workplace skill, similar to being able to use email or a spreadsheet. Workers who can use AI tools well, checking their output and knowing when not to trust them, will have an edge over those who cannot.

Employers face a matching challenge. Many workplaces still have no clear policy on which AI tools staff may use, or how to handle confidential information entered into them. The report’s scale suggests that leaving those questions unanswered is no longer a safe option. Staff are already using the tools, with or without official guidance.

What comes next

The report is a snapshot, not a forecast, and the agency will update its picture as AI tools keep changing. But the direction is clear: daily use at this scale, only a few years after AI chatbots became widely available, points to further growth rather than a plateau.

Expect the next phase of the conversation to focus less on whether Australians use AI and more on how well they use it. Questions about accuracy, privacy and training data are already moving to the centre of policy debates. The workers who thrive will be the ones who treat AI as a tool to be checked and directed, not as an oracle to be obeyed.

For now, the number to remember is 13.6 million.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Australians use AI every day?

According to the Jobs and Skills Australia 2026 annual report, an estimated 13.6 million Australians use AI tools daily. The figure comes from the agency’s survey work and was reported in October 2026.

Which age groups use AI the most?

Daily use is highest among people aged 25 to 34, at 74 per cent, followed by people aged 35 to 49, at 72 per cent. These groups make up the core of the full-time workforce.

What do Australians mainly use AI for?

More than 60 per cent of respondents said they use AI for information and advice, while around 39 per cent said they use it to generate content for work or study. Everyday research and drafting are the most common uses.