Something interesting is happening in Australia. While the rest of the world is still figuring out how to use ChatGPT properly, Australians have quietly moved on to something much more powerful – and slightly more unsettling.
New research from Adobe shows that adoption of “agentic AI” – AI systems that don’t just answer questions but actually make decisions and take action – has jumped 50% in just three months. Almost one in five Australians (18%) are now using AI that can act on their behalf, with another 42% planning to join them within the year.
What’s really going on here?
The numbers come from Adobe’s survey of over 1,000 Australians, tracked between March and June 2025. But the raw data doesn’t tell the whole story – it’s what people are actually doing with this technology that’s fascinating.
This isn’t just about asking AI to write emails or summarize documents anymore. Australians are letting AI make shopping decisions, plan their travels, and even handle their banking. The satisfaction rates are at a staggering 87%+ across the board.
One in three Australians are now regular AI users – up 7% since March. But here’s the kicker: two-thirds say they want to use AI even more as it gets more capable. We’re not just adopting AI; we’re becoming dependent on it. It’s exciting. But it’s also a little unsettling.
But here’s where it gets really interesting. Millennials are the ones who are leading a complete behavioral shift. Their regular AI usage jumped from 29% in March to 41% in June. And they’re not just using more AI – they’re trusting it more. Twenty-three percent of Millennials are already using agentic AI, up from just 13% in March. They’re the first generation to be genuinely comfortable with AI making decisions for them.
“We’ve seen a dramatic shift in just three months. Not only are more Australians adopting AI, but they are embracing new capabilities,” said Katrina Troughton, Vice President and Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Adobe.
“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 behavior and expectations among consumers that are translating into new AI-assisted pathways to discover and engage with brands.”
When AI becomes your shopping buddy
The most telling shift is that Australians are moving beyond asking AI for information to letting it make decisions. They’re using AI for online shopping (30%), travel planning (29%), and even banking (23%). But the real game-changer is creative work – 57% have used AI for creative projects, with plans to expand into writing (52%), photo editing (45%), and graphic design (45%).
Think about that for a moment: AI isn’t just helping with mundane tasks anymore. It’s becoming a creative partner.
When you explain agentic AI to people who haven’t used it yet, their responses are revealing. The top requests? Comparing products (63%), finding deals and completing purchases (57%), and getting creative ideas tailored to their personal style (55%).
Notice a pattern? People don’t just want AI to inform them: they want it to act for them. They want AI that can navigate the complexity of modern life and make decisions they trust.
“We’ve seen a dramatic shift in just three months. Not only are more Australians adopting AI, but they are embracing new capabilities,” says Katrina Troughton, Vice President and Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Adobe.
“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 behavior and expectations among consumers that are translating into new AI-assisted pathways to discover and engage with brands.”
Translation: We’re not just getting smarter search results anymore. We’re fundamentally changing how we make decisions about everything from what to buy to how to create.
The bigger picture
“As consumers embrace new AI applications, the experiences brands deliver online must be designed to perform in an AI-powered world. At Adobe, we’re partnering with businesses to unlock AI-assisted buying journeys, real-time and responsive customer experiences, and agentic AI that is balanced with the human support people strongly value,” Troughton said.
“At the same time, we’re helping individuals – both at work and at home – to unlock insights, scale their imagination and operate with speed, versatility, and impact.”
But here’s the question no one’s asking: What happens when AI becomes so good at making decisions for us that we stop making them ourselves?
The Australian data suggests we’re not just adopting AI – we’re becoming comfortable with AI autonomy. The satisfaction rates are high, the adoption is accelerating, and the trust is growing. But are we prepared for a world where AI doesn’t just assist us but actively shapes our choices? AI Assistant in Adobe Acrobat will soon let people create custom agents with specific roles – research assistants, academic tutors – that can analyse documents and suggest areas to explore. Photoshop’s new Actions panel analyzes your image and recommends edits before you even ask. The next few months will be telling. If the current trajectory continues, we might look back at 2025 as the year Australians became the first to truly embrace AI as a decision-making partner rather than just a smart tool.
The question isn’t whether this is happening – it clearly is. The question is whether we’re ready for what comes next.
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