AI is ultimately a people problem

Recent public debate around AI has highlighted concerns ranging from child safety and cybersecurity to workforce disruption and regulation. While the issues vary, they share a common theme: public confidence is struggling to keep pace with the speed of innovation.

These concerns are understandable. But focusing solely on the pace of AI development risks missing a more important question: are organisations doing enough to build trust as AI becomes more deeply embedded in everyday life and work?

Businesses are now the primary drivers of AI adoption. This creates a responsibility not only to deploy AI effectively, but to help people understand how it is being used, governed and secured. The next phase of AI adoption will not be determined by capability alone. It will be determined by whether organisations can earn the confidence of the people expected to use it.

Education must come before adoption

Across Australia, businesses are moving beyond AI experimentation and focusing on practical applications that improve productivity, automate routine tasks and enhance employee and customer experiences. According to the Australian Government’s AI Adoption Tracker, 41% of Australian SMEs are now adopting AI, with many reporting improvements in productivity and decision-making.

Yet a gap is emerging between AI adoption and public understanding. While the technology is advancing rapidly, many people still lack clarity on how AI systems work, what data is being used, how decisions are made and what safeguards are in place. That uncertainty is contributing to growing concerns around privacy and trust.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner reports that 87% of Australians are more concerned about privacy than they were five years ago.

People are right to ask questions about how AI is being used, how it may affect careers and whether personal information is being handled responsibly. These concerns are less about the potential of the technology itself and more about confidence in how it is being deployed.

Trust is not built through AI policies alone. It is built when organisations are transparent about how AI is being used, when employees understand how to use it responsibly, and when customers have confidence that their data is being protected. The organisations that succeed in the AI era will be those that invest as heavily in transparency, workforce education and accountability as they do in technology itself.

The future of work is about adaptability

Much of the public discussion around AI has focused on the jobs it may replace. Workforce disruption is inevitable, but the more important question is whether organisations are preparing people to work alongside AI effectively.

The World Economic Forum estimates that nearly 40% of the skills required in today’s workforce will change by 2030. As AI takes on routine and repetitive tasks, human contribution will increasingly centre on critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, relationship-building and judgement.

This shift is already creating opportunities across sectors critical to Australia’s future growth, including cybersecurity, software development, health care and energy.

At HP, we are seeing customer conversations evolve. Twelve months ago, many organisations were focused on what AI could do. Today, they are asking more mature questions about workforce readiness, governance and how to deploy AI responsibly at scale.

Successful AI adoption is proving to be as much a people challenge as a technology challenge. Long-term value will depend on how effectively organisations equip people with the skills and confidence to use these tools.

In my view, the ability to learn and adapt is becoming more valuable than any single technical skill: the challenge for organisations is not simply adopting AI, but ensuring their workforce is prepared to participate in the value it creates.

The real risk is not moving too slowly on AI; it is moving too quickly without bringing people with you. When employees do not understand how AI is being used, or do not feel confident using it themselves, adoption slows, productivity gains fall short and customer confidence can erode.

Trust depends on security and governance

Security is becoming one of the defining issues of the AI era. As AI becomes more powerful, cyberthreats are also becoming more sophisticated. The HP Wolf Security Threat Insights Report found that email remained the leading malware delivery method in Q1 2026, accounting for 57% of threats, while more than 1 in 10 malicious emails bypassed at least one email gateway scanner. Security, governance and accountability must be embedded from the outset so organisations can innovate with confidence while protecting the people, data and systems that underpin their operations. We are increasingly seeing organisations move beyond experimentation and focus on governance, data protection and risk management. Building trust is as important as unlocking value.

Ultimately, the next phase of AI will not be defined by capability alone. The technology will continue to advance. The real differentiator will be whether organisations can earn the trust of the people using it.

The organisations that create lasting value will be those that invest in skills, build confidence through transparency, and embed security and governance from the outset.

AI may be a technology transformation, but its success will ultimately be determined by people.

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