Australians are changing how they use AI, with the number of people using general purpose AI assistants and emerging agentic AI solutions “leaping” in only a matter of months.
New research from Adobe finds the use of agentic AI – systems that can interpret intent, make decisions and take autonomous action – jumped 50% in just three months. Almost one in five surveyed Australians (18%) have now used agentic AI, with a further 42% stating they expect to use it in their daily lives within the next year.
The findings come from Adobe’s dual-wave survey of more than 1000 Australians, testing AI usage and behaviours between March and June 2025. The Adobe report, ‘From Assistants to Agents: The AI Evolution in Australia’, finds that as more consumers turn to AI, it’s leading to structural shifts in how they shop, create and work.
One in three surveyed Australians are now regular users of AI assistants, up 7% since March. That’s likely to keep growing, with two in three stating they are wanting to use AI more as AI evolves with new capabilities and services.
While people are using AI assistants for routine tasks like summarising materials, the fastest emerging areas of use are replacing traditional search and seeking guidance on where to shop and what to buy.
Usage is climbing quickly across all generations, but regular AI use has grown the most among Millennials, jumping from 29% in March to 41% in June.
“We’ve seen a dramatic shift in just three months. Not only are more Australians adopting AI, but they are embracing new capabilities,” says Adobe ANZ Vice President and Managing Director Katrina Troughton.
“The surge in agentic AI adoption indicates that it’s no longer just about getting smart answers; people want AI that can act and make decisions. It signals yet another shift in behaviour and expectations among consumers that are translating into new AI-assisted pathways to discover and engage with brands.”
Expanding uses
Consumers are expanding the ways they utilise AI assistants across various sectors and use cases.
The use of AI assistants is steadily growing for online shopping (30%), travel (29%) and banking (23%), and satisfaction is high (87%-plus) among these users.
Creative and multimedia tasks are another rapidly growing area of adoption. More than half of the respondents (57%) have already used AI for creative projects. Many plan to continue using AI over the next six months for uses like writing (52%), photography and photo editing (45%) and graphic design (45%).
Agentic AI
Millennials are setting the pace for agentic AI adoption, with 23% already using agentic AI, up from only 13% in March 2025. They are also the most trusting of the emerging technology.
For other Australians who may not be familiar with agentic AI, once the concept is explained, most want it to help them research and purchase consumer items, as well as boost their creativity. The most appealing use cases included comparing products (63%), finding deals and completing approved purchases (57%), and suggesting creative ideas tailored to their style (55%).
