Seven in 10 Australians use AI for search but trust remains an issue. 

 

Nearly two-thirds of Australian online searchers now use AI assistants to some extent when looking for information, according to new research.

 

The data, drawn from YouGov’s report How AI is Changing Online Discovery in 2026, reveals that more than one in three Australian online searchers now start at least one new search every day with an AI assistant, indicating AI has become a mainstream part of the search journey for a large portion of the population.

 

For brands, discoverability will increasingly depend not only on being found but on being recognised as a trustworthy source wherever consumers choose to search.

 

Brands will need to consider how they appear across a broader set of discovery channels, including AI-generated results, and whether consumers perceive them as credible when they do appear.

 

About the research

 

The YouGov research was conducted online among 1002 Australian adults aged 18 and above. 

 

Image: Microsoft.