Artificial intelligence is reshaping the Australian workforce, with research suggesting it will transform how people work and create new job opportunities.
A recent report from Jobs and Skills Australia has found that AI is expected to affect many jobs through automation and augmentation, where technology supports workers to improve productivity.
University of Queensland innovation expert Evan Shellshear said in a media release the impact of AI is affecting individual tasks within jobs, rather than replacing them entirely.
“We’re seeing certain skills and parts of jobs disappearing, but not necessarily whole occupations disappearing,” he said.
The study shows that jobs requiring human skills such as cleaning, manual labor, food and education are less likely to be fully automated, with AI primarily used to assist workers.
According to the World Economic Forum, AI adoption is expected to create new roles while increasing the demand for skills that combine the creation of new roles, particularly in areas that combine technical expertise and human judgment.
Across many industries, AI is influencing how people work, with employees learning new tools to expand their skill set and keep up with the rapid changes in professional demands. This shift is not only changing the way tasks are being completed, but also encouraging workers to become more innovative and digitally literate in order to remain competitive in an evolving market.
Digital marketing assistant Amelia Smith said for some workers the shift is already being felt in the workplace.
“AI can help with drafting content or analysing the data but humans are still very needed for the creativity side, decision making and storytelling,” Ms Smith said.
She stated that technology has always changed the way we work, but it also creates new opportunities.
The key is to be open to new learning skills and working alongside these skills rather than seeing them as competition.
Employers are placing more value on workers who can combine technical knowledge with critical thinking skills.
Additional Reporter: Ava Ferguson-Leighton
