The Zoom-commissioned survey also reveals organisations may need to provide better AI tools to drive employee adoption, as current solutions do not meet the expectations of the majority of AI natives and limit uptake.
SYDNEY - October 22, 2025 - A Zoom-commissioned study into Australians aged 18 to 24 who have had early exposure* to AI and are currently active users, reveals their differing expectations and concerns about AI in customer experience (CX) and in the workplace.
Dubbed ‘AI natives’, the findings reveal this cohort is seeking seamless integration between AI and human expertise. Four in five (80%) Australian AI natives wanted the option of escalating to a human agent in their customer interactions (compared to 75% of non-AI natives); however, 59% of AI natives also said businesses should offer AI options for faster resolutions.
In the workplace, Australian AI natives are less satisfied with AI (63%) than non-AI natives (80%), indicating that AI natives may have higher expectations of employer investment in AI quality, integration, and governance.
Conducted by Kantar, the study surveyed 2,551 respondents aged 18–45 across eight markets in the APAC region, including Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. The research uncovers the contrasting expectations of AI natives and non-AI natives across CX and employee experience (EX), explores the role AI plays in these interactions, and examines their outlook on the future of AI.
Overall, Australia’s workforce is lagging behind APAC on AI adoption, and with the current productivity crisis, this may pose risks to future economic growth. Only 39% of both Australian AI natives and non-AI natives are using AI for data analysis and reporting, compared to 48% across broader APAC, and only 35% are using it for design and content creation, compared to 43% of those in APAC. Furthermore, Australian AI natives seem to be more selective with the purposes for which they are using the technology, indicating organisations may benefit from delivering better tools and training to drive adoption. AI natives trail their non-AI native counterparts with less use of AI for writing and editing (46% compared to 56% of non-AI natives) and data analysis and reporting (34% compared to 45% of non-AI natives).
“As this growing demographic enters both the consumer market and workforce with distinct expectations shaped by AI, organisations must be prepared to evolve and deliver experiences that match these needs. Our research found AI natives are more selective with the technology and still want human connection; therefore, taking a strategic approach to AI application might be the solution, and striking the perfect balance is key,” said Bede Hackney, Head of Zoom, ANZ.
AI natives want the best of AI and human connection in CX
When it comes to CX, AI natives in Australia highlight areas where businesses need to better optimise their AI tools or risk losing customers. One third of the AI natives (34%) felt disjointed experiences could be a deal-breaker for brand loyalty, as well as having to repeat themselves across channels (34%), or being transferred between multiple departments (41%).
However, AI natives desire personalised AI responses while valuing the option for escalation to a human agent when needed. Among those who consider this important, the top two reasons cited are that AI responses are often too generic and unhelpful (63%) and that they feel more confident that a human agent will correctly understand their issue (59%). In fact, getting “generic copy and paste answers” was noted by Australia’s AI natives as the top factor impacting brand loyalty (53%).
“Organisations must carefully consider where technology fits across the customer journey, including where AI should lead and when human touch remains essential,” said Hackney. “Our research found poorly generated AI responses can undermine brand reputation and loyalty. However, when implemented thoughtfully, AI can enhance the quality of self-service, while empowering human agents to deliver a more personalised and emotionally intelligent response. By combining the best of both, organisations can deliver the elevated customer experience both cohorts expect.”
AI natives have heightened expectations of AI at work
On the professional front, both AI natives and non-AI natives in Australia agree that AI is now part of everyday work life. In fact, just 7% of Australian respondents say that they don’t currently use AI in their workplace.
Organisations in Australia have largely delivered on the expectations of their non-AI native employees, with four in five (80%) Australians reporting being satisfied with the AI tools they are provided at work. However, AI natives aren’t as easy to please, with a smaller percentage (63%) saying so. Nonetheless, 62% of AI natives agree it is important for an employer to provide access to AI tools.
Australian AI natives were most concerned about AI data security and privacy at work (49%), and when asked about their biggest frustrations with AI at work, close to half of AI natives (44%) pointed to the lack of contextual understanding.
“For Australian organisations to fully realise the benefits of AI and remain globally competitive, it’s essential they recognise that AI natives hold heightened expectations of the technology – and actively listen to their specific needs to drive meaningful adoption and engagement. Employee loyalty and productivity will hinge on how well and how fast organisations can evolve their AI tools and training, ensuring solutions are secure while striking the right balance between tech enablement and human connection,” concluded Hackney.
Methodology*
The above study is based on data from an online survey commissioned by Zoom and conducted by Kantar from 4 July to 22 July 2025, among 2,551 respondents aged 18-45 in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Respondents were screened for three key criteria to be considered AI natives — that is, 18-24 years old, currently use and have some form of knowledge about AI, and have had early exposure to the technology. In the questionnaire, smartphone usage is used as a proxy indicator to ascertain early exposure to AI, as smartphones contain some form of AI applications (e.g., social media algorithms, predictive text/autocomplete). The individual must use smartphones before the age of 15 years old to be considered to have early exposure, and this age indicator is based on an aggregate of smartphone penetration rates across our target markets.