Executive summary
The AI age is here - but without decisive leadership, it could shape a future we didn’t choose. Now is the time to set the standard for AI that helps Australia thrive.
AI is already transforming how young Australians learn, connect, and grow - yet there is no national AI strategy addressing the needs of children and young people. Without urgent action, we risk a future shaped by systems we neither fully understand nor control.
On 1 May 2025, the Future Generations Youth AI Think Tank brought together 17 leaders in education, psychology, technology, youth advocacy, and policy. Their verdict was unanimous: this is a pivotal moment for Australia’s future.
If we act now, we can:
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Protect young Australians’ mental health, safety, and agency
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Equip young Australians with skills for the AI economy
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Build public trust through enforceable safety and transparency rules
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Lead the world on ethical AI that puts people first
If we delay, we risk:
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Widening inequality between generations and communities
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Deepening youth loneliness, distress, and disconnection
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Closing off pathways to meaningful work
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Outsourcing moral and democratic decisions to unaccountable tech giants
Five urgent recommendations
(Based on Think Tank advice and McCrindle research)
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Implement AI transparency laws for advanced AI systems, especially in youth-facing applications.
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Fund a national ‘AI-ready families’ campaign to help families and caregivers manage AI in everyday life.
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Integrate ethical AI literacy in schools in the years 7-10 curriculum.
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Equip youth for employment in an AI-transformed world with incentives, modern apprenticeships, and inclusive youth employment pathways.
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Establish an Australian AI safety institute to test, assess, and guide AI safety in line with international best practice.
The window is closing.
Australia can still shape AI to put people first, strengthen our economy,
and protect the wellbeing of future generations - but only if we act now.