75% of Australians now use generative AI to guide purchase decisions. What started as a novelty has become a mainstream behaviour – reshaping how people research, compare, and buy.
Bench Media’s AI & Consumer Sentiment Whitepaper reveals that this shift isn’t just technological – it’s psychological. How Australians feel about AI in marketing will determine whether it builds loyalty or fuels scepticism. For brand marketers, the opportunity lies in translating these insights into action.
Here are five insights that stand out:
1. Key Audience Groups: Superusers vs. Fearmongers
AI adoption is defined less by the technology itself and more by who is using it. The research identifies two distinct archetypes that demand different strategies:
- The Superuser: 25–44 years, female, earning $100k+, using AI daily for shopping, work, and even travel planning
- The Fearmonger: 55+ years, male, income <$65k, often never tried AI, wary of trust, privacy, and authenticity
Why it matters
The divide is generational, but also cultural. Superusers expect brands to embed AI seamlessly – faster recommendations, personalised bundles, predictive service. For them, AI is convenience. Fearmongers, by contrast, want reassurance. They may never fully trust AI, but they will engage if brands provide clear human alternatives.
What should marketers do
- Build dual-path experiences: AI-powered shopping assistants with a visible “talk to a person” fallback.
- In finance and healthcare, double down on human oversight – especially at moments of risk or emotion.
- Segment messaging: emphasise speed and relevance for superusers, empathy and reassurance for sceptics.
2. AI Trust Hinges on Transparency
Australians are increasingly willing to use AI, but their trust is fragile. They see the utility, but they also see the risks. Many want clear disclosure of when AI is being used and tighter regulation of how it operates. Even heavy users remain cautious, particularly women, who adopt AI more than men but show greater concern about privacy, fairness, and representation.
- 47% want brands to clearly disclose when AI is used
- 82% demand stricter AI regulation – a rare point of national consensus
- Women, though heavier users, are more sceptical of privacy and fairness
Why it matters
AI is becoming a “trust filter.” If consumers feel tricked by hidden automation, opaque data use, or unlabelled AI content – they disengage. Transparency isn’t just compliance; it’s a brand-building strategy.
What should marketers do
- Use plain-English labels: “AI-assisted, human-reviewed” signals clarity without sounding cold.
- Publish AI use policies across owned channels – social, CRM, websites.
- Experiment with trust messaging in campaigns (e.g. “Powered by people + AI”) and track its impact on engagement.
3. Advertising and the Innovation–Impersonal Paradox
Advertising is the space where consumer optimism about AI meets their deepest concerns. Many Australians are open to AI in ads and see it as innovative, but they also believe it risks creating unrealistic, impersonal, or inauthentic content. Younger audiences in particular, especially Gen Z, are wary of AI’s creative limits and quick to spot when campaigns feel manufactured.
- 51% are comfortable with AI-generated ads
- Yet 77% believe AI models promote unrealistic beauty standards
- Gen Z who are supposedly digital natives, are the most sceptical: 44% think humans still do creativity better
Why it matters
For all its efficiency, AI creative risks feeling inauthentic or tone-deaf. This paradox means marketers must tread carefully: AI can scale diversity, but unchecked, it can also reinforce stereotypes and coldness.
What should marketers do
- Use AI for scale and diversity – but insist on human review to sense-check representation.
- Label AI visuals. With 60% of Australians asking for disclosure, this is now baseline hygiene
- Lean on AI for trend analysis, but let humans lead storytelling, especially when targeting Gen Z.
4. Emotional vs. Rational Reactions to AI
Australians don’t just evaluate AI by what it does, but by how it makes them feel. Some value the speed and efficiency it provides, while others see it as lacking empathy and connection. This emotional divide is most visible across age groups: younger Australians lean towards AI-driven efficiency, while older Australians put more weight on empathy and human care.
- 30% say the ideal CX blends AI efficiency with human empathy
- Younger consumers prize speed while older ones prize empathy
- When AI replaces people, the nation is split: 35% feel more connected to the brand, 36% feel less
Why it matters
Automation without empathy risks alienation. The future isn’t AI vs. human – it’s AI + human.
What should marketers do
- Build hybrid customer journeys:
- AI = stock updates, predictive delivery, FAQs.
- Human = complaints, refunds, sensitive or emotional queries.
- AI = stock updates, predictive delivery, FAQs.
- In sectors like healthcare or education, always lead with human oversight, with AI as a support tool.
5. Income and Loyalty Divide
Australians’ loyalty to AI-enabled brands is heavily shaped by income. For higher-income households, AI-driven personalisation and convenience increase brand attachment. But for lower-income groups, the impact is muted or even negative – they are more sceptical and less likely to see AI as adding meaningful value to their experience.
- Higher-income Australians are more loyal to AI-enabled brands – 47% in $100–200k households say AI personalisation boosts loyalty
- Lower-income Australians are more sceptical – 34% say AI doesn’t impact their loyalty
Why it matters
AI can deepen loyalty where disposable income fuels engagement. But it can also alienate those who feel left out or over-targeted.
What should marketers do
- Create tiered AI experiences: advanced features (dynamic ads, smart bundles) for loyalty/high-income segments.
- For mass audiences, keep AI simple and accessible – smart chatbots, clear disclosures, empathetic design.
Key Takeaway: Emotional Intelligence Wins
AI is no longer just a shiny tool in the marketer’s kit – it’s a cultural filter. Australians are evaluating brands not only on what AI delivers, but on whether it feels authentic, transparent, and respectful.
The whitepaper makes one truth clear: AI’s success in marketing depends less on its capabilities, and more on how it makes people feel.
What brand marketers should do next:
- Balance efficiency with empathy: use AI to solve for speed, scale, and personalisation, but always design human touchpoints where emotions run high.
- Make transparency non-negotiable: clear labels and plain-English disclosures earn trust faster than legalese.
- Build hybrid journeys: let AI handle prediction, personalisation, and FAQs; let people handle complaints, creativity, and care.
- Segment by audience reality: superusers expect AI integration everywhere; sceptics need reassurance and choice.
- Treat AI as an amplifier, not a replacement: it can scale diversity, insights, and relevance, but human oversight must remain the quality filter.
The smartest brands to benefit from Artificial Intelligence won’t be the ones with the most AI. They’ll be the ones who use it with the most emotional intelligence – balancing trust, transparency, and humanity to create connections that last.
Download the full Bench Media AI & Consumer Sentiment Whitepaper for the complete data, demographic breakdowns, and deeper insights.
