Most Australians Fear AI Will Fuel More Cybercrime, New Survey Shows

New research from Sekuro and Women in Digital, based on a survey of 2,003 Australian adults, has found that 84% of Australians expect artificial intelligence to increase cybercrime rates. The Cybercrime Victimisation in Australia report found 74% of Australians already use AI tools, with 45% using them at least weekly, and eight in 10 respondents said they were concerned AI would make them more vulnerable to attacks. Older Australians were the most worried, with almost half of those aged 65 and over describing themselves as 'very concerned', compared to about one in four people aged 18 to 34.

The report also revealed a high level of existing cybercrime exposure, with 42% of Australians affected in the past five years and 27% becoming victims. Four in ten victims said they had been targeted more than once. Underreporting was flagged as a major issue, with 44% of victims never reporting incidents through any channel, rising to 51% for data breaches.

While overall victimisation rates were similar between men and women, the report found women face a disproportionate share of targeted abuse such as digital stalking, coercive control and image-based abuse. Women in Digital CEO Holly Hunt said shame and fear of judgement often stop victims from coming forward, leaving some of the most harmful cybercrime hidden from official statistics.