Generative AI is emerging as an important part of the Australian news ecosystem.

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In this year's Digital News Report: Australia 2026, nearly one in 10 Australians (9 per cent) report using tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity to get their news, which is broadly in line with the global average (9 per cent).

More Australians are turning to Gen AI tools not just to find news, but to make sense of it by getting summaries, asking follow-up questions, and to explain complex issues in plain language.

This shift matters because generative AI is not just another distribution channel.

It is becoming a crucial intermediary that sits between news publishers and audiences, shaping what people see, how they interpret it, and whether they engage further.

However, the spread of AI is uneven across demographics. Since last year, the use of AI news almost doubled among major city residents while it remained the same among regional audiences, widening the urban-regional divide.

AI news consumption remains higher among young people (18-24, 16 per cent; 25-34, 18 per cent) and those with high education (15 per cent). News subscribers are also more likely to access news on AI chatbots, as well as those who have high interest in news and politics.

Trust also plays a central role. People who trust news, especially from AI chatbots, are much more likely to use these tools.

When asked how they use AI chatbots for news, people say they ask follow-up questions (49 per cent) or get news summaries (45 per cent). They also turn to chatbots to make news easier to understand and to help explain complex issues.

The pattern of use is significantly different to when people seek news on search engines or on social........

© Canberra Times