Marketers warned on frontline of AI free-for-all affecting young Australians
A new discussion paper from the Future Generations Youth AI Think Tank calls for a national AI strategy to address the needs of children and young people, warning that marketers are introducing AI to young Australians without adequate protections in place.
The announcement:
Marketers are on the frontline of an AI free-for-all, the gatekeepers introducing the new technology to young Australians but without a national plan to protect or prepare them. That warning comes from the Future Generations Youth AI Think Tank and a new discussion paper calling for a national AI strategy to address the needs of children and young people.
Research by McCrindle, commissioned by the Abel Foundation, reveals just one in three Australians trust AI, nine in ten believe Australia should lead on international AI governance, and seven in ten want the government to prioritise AI regulation*.
The Future Generations Youth AI Think Tank initiative, which was born inside the creative industry, brought together 17 leaders across academia, not-for-profit, education and the marketing and creative industry at Thinkerbell’s Sydney office, to deliver a unanimous verdict that Australia is at a pivotal moment when it comes to AI’s impact on the younger generation.
The paper ‘AI and the Next Generation: A National Wake-Up Call’, written by the Australian Centre for AI in Marketing (ACAM) and the Abel Foundation, argues that while AI is already transforming how young Australians learn, connect, and grow, without a national AI strategy addressing the needs of children and young people we risk a future shaped by systems we neither fully understand nor control.
AI in marketing is already transforming how brands connect, create and communicate. From personalised experiences to AI-generated content, marketers are often the first to put new technologies in front of young Australians, which positions the industry as important stewards in shaping early interactions with AI and influencing trust for a generation.
Louise Cummins, ACAM co-founder co-author of the paper, said: “AI has the power to unleash great opportunity, but only if we ensure the right guardrails are in place. As an industry that brings AI into people’s lives daily, marketing has a responsibility to design for good. At ACAM, advocacy is central to our mission, and this paper demonstrates our commitment to ensuring AI advances human potential rather than undermining it.”
Talking about the implications for AI in marketing, Cummins added: “For brands that get it wrong, the fallout could be profound: reputational damage, erosion of consumer trust, and long-term harm to youth wellbeing. If they get it right, the sector can model ethical leadership and show how technology can amplify creativity while protecting the most vulnerable.”
The paper calls for a national coordinated response with five urgent actions, including:
- AI transparency laws – Mandatory disclosure for advanced AI systems, especially in youth-facing applications.
- AI-ready families – A national campaign to equip parents and carers to manage AI in daily life.
- Youth AI literacy in schools – Integration of AI ethics, critical thinking and digital rights into Years 7–10 curricula.
- Youth employment in the AI economy – Government incentives, modern apprenticeships and inclusive pathways for under-25s.
- Australian AI safety institute – A national body to test, assess and guide AI safety, aligned with global best practice.
Marcus Byrne, head art and AI Tinker at Thinkerbell, said the creative industry has a unique role to play in shaping how AI shows up in people’s lives. “AI is already part of how stories are told, how brands are built and how culture is shaped. That gives the marketing and creative sector a responsibility to show what good looks like. As Uncle Ben said, paraphrasing Voltaire ‘With great power comes great responsibility’.”
Noddy Sharma, founder of Abel Movement and co-author of the paper, added: “We’re on a knife’s edge with AI taking hold. We must lead now in a way that pushes us towards human flourishing, not away from it.”
The Future Generations Youth AI Think Tank participants included, Australia’s favourite maths teacher and YouTube star, Eddie Woo; Ashley Fell, director of advisory at McCrindle; psychologist Clare Rowe, and Joel Pearson, professor of cognitive neuroscience and founder and director of Future Minds Lab at the University of NSW.
Download a copy of ‘AI and the Next Generation: A National Wake-Up Call’ discussion paper.
Source: * McCrindle research, nationally representative sample of 1,000+ Australians carried out between March and April 2025.
Source: Tag PR
Keep up to date with the latest in media and marketing
Got a tip?
topics
Abel Movement
ACAM
Future Generations Youth AI Think Tank
Louise Cummins
Marcus Byrne
Noddy Sharma
Thinkerbell
Have your say