The Digital Experiences of Australian Youth

A collaboration with the Telstra Foundation to establish a national baseline of young Australians’ perceptions and experiences of AI and identify how to support its safe and productive use.

Our Vision

The public access and application of artificial intelligence (AI) is moving at an unprecedented speed. Yet, the evidence of how Australian young people use, and view AI, is limited.

This project aims to generate a national baseline for how Australian young people aged 14-25 access, understand and learn about AI and their concerns, hopes and unmet needs when it comes to the future of AI.

Current studies on Australian young people and AI are fragmented and have a focus on engagement with particular AI technologies (e.g. chatbots) or the implications of AI for specific aspects of youth experience especially safety and mental health. This study will provide a broader, deeper and holistic view of how Australian young people experience AI and what strengths and emerging issues need to be addressed.

Our Project Plan

This project will use a mixed-methods design, combining a nationally representative survey with participatory workshops to develop a nuanced understanding of young people’s perceptions and experiences of AI. The survey will be adapted from an instrument developed by the PEW Research Centre (link to report here), while the workshops will used creative, play-based activities to explore participants’ experiences and perspectives in greater depth.

Together, the methods will explore the following themes:

• How is AI replacing or changing the things young people used to do themselves?
• When do young people trust AI, and when don’t they?
• How does AI affect online safety and digital wellbeing?
• How does AI influence the decisions young people make every day?

The nationally representative survey will collect quantitative and qualitative data from ~1,500 young Australian’s aged 14-25. Workshops will complement the survey by engaging ~ 40 young people from the same age group in urban New South Wales (Western Sydney) and regional Queensland (Toowooomba). Combining these methods will identify broad national trends while generating richer, context-specific insights into how young people experience and understand AI.

Project History

This research builds on a longstanding partnership between Y&R and the Telstra Foundation, including our contribution to the Australian Youth Digital Index (AYDI) and the accompanying qualitative research exploring young people’s digital experiences. The AYDI was established to monitor young Australian’s’ digital access, connectivity, skills, safety and wellbeing, providing evidence to inform policy and practice aimed at supporting young people to thrive in digital environments.

Findings from our 2025 qualitative research accompanying the AYDI report highlighted AI as an emerging concern for young people. Participants repeatedly raised concerns about AI-generated content, calling for stronger education, regulation and support to help them navigate AI-driven environments.

This project responds directly to this finding. By exploring young Australian’s experiences and perceptions of AI, it will generate in-depth evidence about the opportunities and challenges of AI in young people’s lives, informing future practice and policy recommendations.

What Impact will this research have?

This research will complement the Telstra Foundation’s second annual Australian Youth Digital Index (AYDI) survey and report, which provides a snapshot of how young Australian’s engage with digital technologies across areas such as access, connectivity, skills, safety and wellbeing. There is a significant evidence gap in understanding how young Australian’s perceive, experience, and navigate rapidly evolving opportunities and risks attached to AI technologies. By generating qualitative and quantitative evidence, this research will contribute new knowledge to an emerging discourse to ensure young people’s perspectives are represented in future discussions pertaining to the future of AI. In addition to this, the research will provide valuable evidence to inform policymakers, educators and industry experts in terms of future governance of AI technologies to support the safe and beneficial use of AI-technologies by young people in Australia.

Outputs

Report of findings

Slide deck

Child-friendly summary

Collaboration team

Internal collaborators

Professor Philippa Collin

Professor Amanda Third

Lilly Tatam

Dr Andrew Kellett

Dr Girish Lala

Lilly Moody

Alison Taylor-Knight

Anais Griffith

Ashutosh Aryal

External collaborators/Partners

Jackie Coates

Advisory Board

John Zoltner

Samantha Yorke

Raffaele Ciriello

John Livingstone

Kahlil Grocott

Funding

This research is funded by the Telstra Foundation.

Period

May 2026 – November 2026

Contact: If you would like to get in contact with The Digital Experiences of Australian Youth: AI team, please contact Lilly Tatam at l.tatam@westernsydney.edu.au.