Comparing surveys: View 2024 findings

2025 Survey (933 Australians): 94% expect AI to be held to safety standards at least as strict as commercial aviation — a far higher bar than current expert risk forecasts imply. Australians want the government to better manage AI risks, and report that many risk controls would increase their trust in AI.

Safety standards matter: Australians want AI held to safety standards at least as strict as commercial aviation — one of the most tightly regulated, safety-critical industries. Independent expert forecasts currently place AI risk well above that bar, pointing to a substantial gap between public expectations and where experts judge the technology to be today.

Public trust depends on action: The research shows that implementing appropriate risk controls would directly increase trust in AI technology. This presents a clear pathway for both government and industry.

Governance framework needed: With strong public support for government action on AI risks, there is a mandate for developing comprehensive AI governance frameworks that address current harms and potential catastrophic risks.

• 2025 Technical Report (interactive report) - Complete findings, read online
• 2025 Technical Report (PDF) - Complete report for download and offline reading

Suggested citation: Noetel, M., Saeri, A.K., Graham, J., & Slattery, P. (2025). Survey Assessing Risks from Artificial Intelligence: 2025 Technical Report. aigovernance.org.au

We analysed data from 933 Australians, recruited through online representative quota sampling stratified by age, sex, and Australian state / territory. We also conducted multilevel regression with poststratification to construct more accurate population estimates based on 2021 Australian Census data.

This project is a collaboration between Ready Research and The University of Queensland. The project team includes Dr Alexander Saeri, Dr Michael Noetel, Jessica Graham, and Dr Peter Slattery.