AI and the Future of Work in Australia

Jobs and Skills Australia states its May 2025-May 2035 projections "do not currently reflect" generative AI and directs readers to its separate study of early labour-market effects, Our Gen AI Transition (JSA). The consistent pattern in that kind of analysis is that AI automates tasks within jobs before it removes whole occupations.

• Routine coding and testing tasks
• Routine bookkeeping, reconciliation and reporting
• Standardised data preparation and reporting
• Clerical and administrative tasks - the occupation group JSA already projects to grow weakly or decline

• Health care and personal care: the strongest official projected growth (JSA), and dependent on physical presence and clinical judgement.
• Cybersecurity: AI increases attack volume, raising demand for defenders.
• AI and data engineering: demand linked to adoption itself.
• Engineering in resources and infrastructure: automation shifts roles toward systems and remote operations rather than removing engineers.

Large Australian mines already use autonomous haulage and remote operations centres (for example in Perth). This shifts engineering and technical work toward automation, control systems, data and remote monitoring.

• Working fluency with the AI tools your field uses
• Systems thinking and ownership of outcomes, not narrow task execution
• Communication with clients and non-technical colleagues
• For finance and cybersecurity: regulatory and compliance literacy, including AI governance

• Separate task automation from occupation-level demand.
• Check whether the curriculum builds durable technical, analytical, interpersonal or regulated skills.
• Check whether the course teaches tools employers use now.
• Build a portfolio showing AI-enabled productivity rather than avoiding AI.