Artificial intelligence now rivals embryo experimentation as ethical dilemma

Public concern over AI intensifies as Australians grapple with its ethical impact across work, creativity, and governance. 

AI ranks alongside embryo experimentation as one of the toughest ethical dilemmas facing Australians, according to new research released in Governance Institute of Australia’s 2025 Ethics Index. 

The annual survey of 1000 Australians reveals artificial intelligence has jumped seven points in the past year to become the third most pressing ethical challenge, behind only cost of living and housing affordability. In terms of ethical difficulty, AI is now rated almost equal to embryo experimentation, highlighting how far it has moved up the national agenda. 

The findings suggest Australians no longer see AI as a niche or emerging issue but as a profound ethical dilemma that cuts across work, creativity, health and governance. 

Governance Institute Senior Advisor for Policy and Advocacy (AI and tech), Daniel Popovski, said the results send a strong signal about public sentiment toward technology. He noted that AI is now one of the most ethically complex challenges confronting society. 

“Artificial intelligence is no longer viewed as a niche or emerging issue; it is now one of the most ethically complex challenges facing Australian society. The 2025 Ethics Index places AI just behind embryo experimentation in terms of ethical difficulty, reflecting growing public concern about its impact on employment, decision-making, and creative rights. These findings underscore the urgent need for ethical governance frameworks that can keep pace with technological advancement,” he said. 

The Index highlights a sharp generational divide in attitudes toward AI. Gen Z, which places the highest importance on ethics overall at 93, recorded the strongest negative swing toward corporate use of AI, dropping from a net positive of +8 in 2024 to –11 this year. Millennials remain the most positive group about AI in the workplace, while Baby Boomers are increasingly aligned with Gen Z in their concerns, particularly around job displacement and the erosion of human decision-making. 

Australians are most critical of AI scenarios that involve deception, undisclosed AI-generated content and job displacement. In contrast, AI use in medical contexts such as assisting with diagnosis and treatment planning was rated the least negative. 

Public concern for protecting creative professionals’ rights has also intensified, with overall support rising by seven points in 2025 and more Australians calling it an urgent obligation. 

The Index also reveals that perceptions of corporate AI use have fallen sharply. AI was newly tracked as a sector this year and is already rated as negative overall. Popovski said these results show that Australians are not just worried about what AI can do, they are worried about how it is being governed.