Awareness versus Usage of ChatGPT in Australia: how do they vary demographically?

ChatGPT is going mobile. Just six months after its initial release for public use in November 2022, tech startup OpenAI has made the AI-powered chatbot available to iPhone users in over 45 countries (as of May 2023) with the launch of an iOS app. The company plans to add more countries and roll out an Android app soon.

With the arrival of ChatGPT to mobile devices, the ability to quickly find information, create plans and produce content on a wide range of topics – anywhere and anytime – will soon be available to anyone who owns a smartphone. 

But what proportion of Australians are even aware of ChatGPT? How many have used the AI chatbot – and for what purposes? What do Australians make of ChatGPT – both in respect of what it produces and its impact on the future of work in Australia?

In this three-part series, we unpack the findings of our national study on these questions.

• In Part 1 – this article – we explore who is aware of and who is using ChatGPT in Australia. We examine how this varies by generation, gender, education level and work status, as well as the demographic composition of ChatGPT’s regular users in Australia.
• In Part 2, we reveal the proportion of Australians who use ChatGPT for business, entertainment and educational purposes, and how likely different generations are to purchase products recommended by ChatGPT.
• In Part 3, we explore attitudes towards ChatGPT in Australia. Do consumers trust the AI chatbot’s accuracy and objectivity? And do they see ChatGPT as a helpful tool or a threat to their future employment?

How does awareness of ChatGPT in Australia vary across genders and generations?

Latest research from YouGov Surveys: Serviced shows that just under half (48%) of Australians have heard of ChatGPT, and almost a quarter (23%) have interacted with the AI chatbot.

Men are much more likely than women to be aware of ChatGPT, as well as to have used it. Nearly three in five (58%) males say they have heard of ChatGPT, compared to two in five (39%) females. Around a third of Australian men (34%) have also used ChatGPT, compared to a seventh of Australian women (14%).

Younger Australians are also more likely to have heard of and tried out ChatGPT.

In terms of awareness, over two-thirds of Gen Z (67%) and Millennials (68%) are aware of ChatGPT, but just under half of Gen X (48%) and less than a quarter of Baby Boomers (23%).

In terms of usage, about two-fifths of Gen Z (40%) and Millennials (37%) say they have tried out ChatGPT, but only 27% of Gen X and just 1% of Baby Boomers say the same.

How does awareness of ChatGPT vary by education level and working status in Australia?

Awareness of ChatGPT is positively correlated with education level. While just a third of Australians with some/full secondary school education (32%) or vocational training credentials like certificates and advanced diplomas (33%) say they have heard of ChatGPT, this doubles among Bachelor/Honours degree holders (65%) and is even higher among Australians with postgraduate qualifications (71%).

University educated Australians are also more likely to have used ChatGPT (35-45%), compared to non-graduates (7-14%).

Level of employment also correlates with awareness and usage of ChatGPT. While more than two-thirds (67%) of full-time job holders have heard of the AI chatbot and over two-fifths (44%) have used it, among part-timers half (50%) are aware while about a fifth (19%) have interacted with it. In comparison, Australians who are not employed are far less likely to have both heard of (27%) or used (4%) ChatGPT.

How often do Australians expect to make use of ChatGPT?

Almost two-fifths (39%) of all Australians say they are likely to use ChatGPT often, as they expect the AI chatbot to be the first or among the first places they would turn to when they need information or want to get a task done.

Meanwhile, the majority of Australians (61%) say they are likely to use ChatGPT only occasionally (39%) – for selected things or when they have tried other options – or on rare occasions (22%).

However, among Australians who have used ChatGPT already, almost two-thirds (65%) say they are likely to use ChatGPT often, with 38% saying they expect to turn to the AI chatbot as their first resource for finding information and completing various tasks.

Conversely, a minority of Australia’s ChatGPT users (36%) say they are likely to use ChatGPT only occasionally (30%) or rarely (6%).

What is the gender and generational makeup of regular ChatGPT users in Australia?

Australians who expect to very or quite often use ChatGPT are much more likely to be male (71%) than female (29%).

In terms of generational breakdown, Millennials make up almost half (48%) of this group. Gen X (28%) and Gen Z (23%) are the next largest groups, ahead of Baby Boomers (1%).

What is the education background and working status of regular ChatGPT users in Australia?

Three-quarters (76%) of Australians who expect to very or quite often use ChatGPT are university graduates: 39% have postgraduate qualifications while 37% hold Bachelor/Honours degrees.

Meanwhile, 17% have completed or some secondary school education, while just 6% hold vocational training credentials like certificates and advanced diplomas.

Full-time job holders also make up over four in five (83%) Australians who are likely to use ChatGPT very or quite often, while 13% are part-timers and 4% are not working.

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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online from 16-20 March 2023, with a national sample of 1,041 Australian residents, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender and region to be representative of all adults residing in Australia (18 years or older) and reflect the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) population estimates. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.

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