Cracks emerge in AI trust and media loyalty, Deloitte warns in 2025 outlook

Australia’s technology, media and telecommunications sector is facing a defining year of disruption and opportunity, according to Deloitte’s latest TMT Predictions 2025 report.

This year's report signals a fast-fragmenting media landscape, growing risks around AI trust, critical gaps in infrastructure investment and a new era of monetisation pressure across platforms and services. Across all sectors, one theme is clear: 2025 will be shaped by how well businesses can close the gaps - in trust, in energy, in monetisation and turn disruption into durable growth.

Trust in GenAI is fractured

Despite Australia’s rapid adoption of generative AI tools, a trust gap is growing, particularly among women. Deloitte’s data shows only 50% of Australian women trust or use GenAI in the workplace, compared to 70% of men.

This gender divide isn’t just a tech adoption issue, it could seriously constrain national productivity and innovation if not addressed. Deloitte warns that businesses must move beyond "pilot and play" AI strategies and invest in education, transparency and inclusive AI governance to bring sceptical users onboard.

The report also notes that Australian businesses are taking a cautious "wait-and-see" approach to autonomous AI agents, also called agentic AI. By 2025, agentic AI will have the biggest impact across healthcare, financial services, retail, and government sectors, but broad deployment remains slow.

Streaming is fragmenting fast

The golden era of simple, single-subscription streaming is over. Australian households now subscribe to an average of 2.6 paid SVOD services, and 75% of Australians report rising concerns about subscription costs.

Bundling is back: Deloitte predicts a rise in ad-supported tiers and bundled streaming packages in 2025, as consumers seek affordability without cutting off access to multiple platforms.

This shift will redefine competition, not just between content libraries but between bundles themselves, much like the old cable TV wars, only fought across apps and smart TVs.

Sport is leading innovation

Australian sport is becoming a powerhouse not just in entertainment, but in technology and infrastructure innovation. Deloitte forecasts around AU$1.2 billion in national investment in new stadium developments and upgrades over the next three years.

Digitisation of stadiums, from smarter ticketing to immersive fan experiences, will be key to unlocking more private sector investment.

Meanwhile, women’s sport is emerging as an economic force. Australian Gen Z and Millennials are predicted to consume over one hour of women’s sports content per week by 2025, across broadcast, social, streaming and digital. Brands sponsoring women’s teams now see a 75% higher return on investment compared to men’s teams. Australia is now expected to become one of the top three highest-revenue women’s sports economies per capita globally by 2025, behind only North America.

Other signals from Deloitte’s TMT 2025 report show the appetite for AI energy is growing at a rapid rate with Australian AI data centres set to consume up to 8% of the country’s total electricity by 2030, raising urgent questions around sustainable innovation. The report also shows 5G still finding its footing with nearly 50% of Australians expected to own a 5G-enabled device by 2025. A key stat from Deloitte shows more than 40% of Australian businesses could face deepfake-driven cyberattacks by 2025, with political discourse and personal trust at heightened risk.