PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2025 – Australian insights

With trust, cultural support and clear communication about workplace change in the age of AI, leaders can lift motivation while accelerating reinvention and growth.

Australian workers are weighing in on AI’s impact on productivity, growth and jobs. PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2025 shows that while Australia is geographically distant, it is closely aligned with global sentiment.

Optimism about AI clearly outweighs anxiety, and local workers are adopting it at a pace consistent with peers overseas, pointing to a shared pattern in how people think, feel and work with AI.

This optimism sits against a tougher economic reality. Australia faces a productivity malaise, with population and workforce growth outstripping investment in business capital, housing and infrastructure.

Treasury expects structurally weaker income growth, with real income per person rising at less than half the pace of the past 40 years.

In this context, AI is not optional, it is a critical lever to lift productivity and sustain living standards.

The survey, one of the largest of its kind, with nearly 50,000 respondents across 28 sectors in 48 economies, including 1,225 Australians, also shows daily use remains relatively low, highlighting a major opportunity for leaders to unlock value.

Among Australian workers, 49% have used AI at work in the past year. Most already see results: 72% report higher productivity and 70% improved work quality.

Daily GenAI users are the most confident, with more than 90% reporting benefits and expecting further gains. Overall, Australians are nearly twice as likely to feel curious or excited about AI as they are to feel worried or confused.

Uncover what’s really driving workforce sentiment, where AI adoption is falling short, and the practical actions leaders can take now to close the gap and turn momentum into measurable performance.

Access the full report