The media industry has come together to discuss what’s really happening across Australia as AI continues to be introduced in workplaces. During a LinkedIn panel on Wednesday, featuring senior figures from leading media agencies, the trio revealed stark generational divides and explained why employees are hesitating with AI tools.
While LinkedIn research shows that 78 per cent of Australians feel relieved or curious when AI takes on tasks they used to do, 37 per cent feel overwhelmed by the speed of adoption, and 63 per cent worry that resisting AI risks falling behind. Trust in human judgement remains high, with 82 per cent saying it is irreplaceable even as AI capabilities grow.
Younger Staff Only Using AI As A ‘Fancy Google’
According to the panel, despite being tech-savvy Gen Z digital natives, younger professionals are approaching AI cautiously.
“I would estimate 80 per cent of what people are doing is using AI like a fancy Google. Find me this one thing, right? That is what we are doing with the tools. We are not using it to the fullest of its capabilities,” Farrell told the audience.
Koslowski added that younger staff in The Daily Aus newsroom often feel they “lack the education or confidence to experiment.”
The newsroom currently has a core demographic focus on Australians aged 18–35.
“One of the younger members of the team said to me the other day [using AI] feels a little bit like when she hears people talking about investing. She knows she should start, she knows she might regret not starting, but she doesn’t have the appetite or the lingo to really get going.”
Panelists agreed that the issue isn’t so much laziness but rather uncertainty.
“The younger generation is trying to learn, build mastery, and experiment,” Farrell added. “It’s harder for them to immediately see where to put AI and how to use it effectively, which adds to that fear of experimentation.”
Carney added that “several organisations are grappling with the how do we face into that reorganization that change how work should be done, what that work should be versus faster, better, more efficient.”
Why Young People Are Afraid of AI
Fear and uncertainty remain major barriers for young people in the media industry.
Rapid change, unfamiliar terminology, and constant pressure to keep up is creating stress.
“Ignorance breeds negativity. When we don’t know what’s happening, we immediately fill that with worst-case assumptions. Employees are looking for clarity and support,” Farrell said.
Koslowski highlighted that younger staff often hesitate because they feel the stakes are high.
“They know the tasks they need to do, but they’re not sure how AI fits. If they experiment and it goes wrong, they worry it reflects badly on them.”
Farrell also suggested that younger employees may underestimate their own ability to integrate AI because it’s so intertwined with their daily digital lives:
“The youngest generation self-identified as worst at adopting AI, whereas the oldest generation claimed they were best. It might be that older people think, ‘I’ve got this,’ while younger people truly see how much they’re not doing yet.”
Are Older Staff Really Using AI Confidently?
Older workers report being comfortable with AI, but panelists questioned whether this confidence reflects effective or strategic use.
“We recently did an engagement survey and we’d added in questions about AI, and we were blown away,” Farrell told the audience. She said she was surprised because it was the oldest generation who said that they were best at adopting AI, and the youngest generation was self coined the worst.
“We thought, ‘My God, that’s so strange’.”
“We would have naturally assumed the younger generation would have been high,” she said. “Then our hypothesis was, maybe older people think ‘I use ChatGPT, so I’ve got it all under control,’ whereas younger people, because it’s more part of their daily life, perhaps they truly see how much they’re not doing.”
Farrell added that older staff may understand their tasks and how to delegate some to AI, but younger employees are still learning how to use the tools strategically:
“Older people know what the job is. They can identify which tasks to hand off to AI and which to focus on themselves. Younger people are still learning and experimenting, so they don’t get the same immediate boost.”
Carney cautioned that organizations often overestimate how effectively staff are adopting AI.
“It’s not just about introducing a tool; it’s about reshaping work. If you don’t, people fall back into old habits. The tech alone won’t solve it – it’s a cultural shift as much as a technological one.”
“Everyone thinks that using AI is cheating, which is why we see so much shadow AI behind the scenes. People aren’t sharing how they’re using it, and that prevents the organisation from learning together.”
“We haven’t culturally normalised it yet.”
