CreditorWatch’s newest Annual Enterprise Sentiment Survey reveals a major shift in how Australian companies are embracing Synthetic Intelligence (AI), with adoption charges, satisfaction ranges and expectations of its impression all rising sharply over the previous yr.
But the report additionally highlights a major divide. The September 2025 survey, which canvassed 1,017 enterprise decision-makers throughout all industries and enterprise sizes, reveals one in three (32%) Australian companies haven’t adopted any new applied sciences prior to now yr – an issue much more frequent amongst smaller operators. Virtually half of sole merchants (49%) and round 40% of small and medium-sized companies haven’t embraced ‘newer’ applied sciences akin to AI, big-data analytics, or robotics prior to now 12 months, in contrast with simply 4% of huge companies.
Whereas that is an total adoption of recent know-how noticed a 15 share level enchancment – dropping from 47% to 32% when in comparison with CreditorWatch’s Could 2024 Enterprise Sentiment Survey – it’s regarding that companies aren’t profiting from the potential productiveness, effectivity, expertise and knowledge advantages that these newer applied sciences assist ship.
Specializing in probably the most mentioned know-how on this combine, AI, reveals extra optimistic indicators. The survey discovered that 41.5% of companies adopted AI instruments prior to now 12 months, up from 34.8% in Could 2024, marking a 6.7 share level enhance. This development positions AI as probably the most extensively adopted know-how, forward of cloud-based finance platforms (28.4%) and big-data analytics (25.0%).
AI adoption is now not confined to early adopters or massive corporates. The survey reveals uptake is broadening throughout sectors and demographics, with notable good points amongst female-led companies (+8.6 pts), Gen Z leaders (+13.4 pts), and companies in NSW, VIC and QLD, all of which noticed double-digit will increase.
CreditorWatch CEO Patrick Coghlan mentioned the findings mirror a maturing market and a rising recognition of AI’s strategic worth:
“AI is now not a simply fringe funding – it’s central to how companies compete. Whereas some firms are nonetheless catching up, the info reveals that firms embracing AI are seeing actual returns, and that’s driving broader adoption throughout sectors. We’re witnessing a shift from curiosity to functionality, however there’s nonetheless work to be completed to allow smaller companies particularly to maintain tempo and advance technologically – one thing that may be difficult, but affords important advantages, particularly within the present panorama.”
How is AI being adopted?
Amongst companies which have adopted AI, the most typical purposes embrace:
- Content material creation and enhancing (46%)
- Knowledge insights and analytics (37%)
- Automation of routine duties (37%)
- Customer support/chatbots (35%)
- Gross sales and advertising and marketing analytics (33%)
- Venture and job administration (31%)
Satisfaction with AI stays exceptionally excessive. 94.6% of adopters report optimistic outcomes, with 43% “very happy” – up from 37.6% in 2024. This implies that AI instruments aren’t solely being deployed extra extensively however are delivering tangible worth throughout operational and strategic capabilities.
AI adoption by sector and enterprise measurement
The survey highlights a transparent divide in adoption and impression expectations throughout industries. AI adoption is accelerating throughout monetary providers and enterprise providers – reporting adoption charges of 49% and 53% respectively, and the very best satisfaction round ROI.
These sectors are leveraging AI for automation, content material creation, and knowledge insights, with satisfaction ranges exceeding 95%. In distinction, sectors akin to development, distribution and retail are lagging, with adoption charges beneath 35% and decrease confidence in AI’s transformative potential.
Bigger companies are main the best way in AI adoption, spotlight an rising digital divide by enterprise measurement, with 69% of firms with 200+ workers integrating AI instruments, in comparison with simply 33% of small companies and 30% of sole merchants.
These bigger organisations additionally report the very best satisfaction (99.1%) and strongest expectations of impression, with over 73% anticipating important or reasonable transformation inside 5 years. Whereas smaller companies are more and more adopting AI, they continue to be constrained by monetary sources, time and technical functionality.
Obstacles to tech adoption
Regardless of the momentum, challenges stay. The highest limitations to tech funding embrace:
- Cybersecurity issues (29.8%)
- Restricted monetary sources (25.3%)
- Uncertainty about return on funding (ROI) (23.1%)
- Lack of tech information and expert workers (mixed 38.8%)
Whereas monetary and time constraints have eased since 2024, cultural resistance and strategic uncertainty persist, notably in sectors with decrease digital maturity.
Trying Forward
CreditorWatch’s knowledge reveals that 49% of enterprise leaders anticipate AI to have a major or reasonable impression on their operations over the following 5 years. This forward-looking sentiment, mixed with rising adoption and satisfaction, means that AI is transitioning from a tactical device to a strategic enabler.