A uni professor admitted using AI to write an opinion piece. Here’s what it revealed about trust in the technology

When a university vice-chancellor this week admitted to using AI in writing an opinion piece for a major Australian masthead, but did not disclose that use prior to publication, it highlighted the growing gap between people’s use of AI and trust in the technology. Data from Roy Morgan this week showed 13.6m or 58% of the population older than 14 now use AI each month, with ChatGPT being the most popular, followed by Google’s Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. Australians between the ages of 25-34 were most likely to use AI (74%) followed by 35-49 (72%), showing most of the workforce are those who are now using these tools. Guardian Australia has covered extensively how it is affecting industries across the board – from healthcare to the legal system . As large language models are embedded into products we already use – whether we want it or not – people are going to use them. Australians, however, deeply distrust AI, and how people use it. A survey from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner last month found just 4% of Australians trust AI, putting the sector on par with data brokers , and 1% above social media platforms. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email The survey found 79% of people want to know when AI is being used, up from 73% in 2023. It’s the lack of transparency over when – and how – it is being used that seems to concern people the most. …