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For years, we’ve been warned artificial intelligence is coming for our jobs. But should everyone, from bricklayers to bankers, be equally worried?
To find out, Victoria University’s Janine Dixon and James Lennox have simulated two versions of Australia between now and 2050: one in which AI is extensively adopted, and one where it isn’t.
Their findings, to be presented today at the Melbourne Economic Forum, paint a nuanced picture in which some jobs are replaced, some transformed, and some sectors of the economy actually add thousands of employees in response to AI. How might your profession fare?
Their article kicks off our new series on jobs in the age of AI. We’ll look at what AI means for workers at different career stages, how it might reshape our economy, and what you can do to prepare.
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Matthew Hall
Deputy Business & Economy Editor
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Janine Dixon, Victoria University; James Lennox, Victoria University
AI could put a rocket under Australia’s economy, but there’s no guarantee this growth will include everyone.
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Melanie O'Brien, The University of Western Australia; Ben Saul, University of Sydney; Eyal Mayroz, University of Sydney; Paul James, Western Sydney University; Shannon Bosch, Edith Cowan University
Five Australian international law and genocide scholars examine the evidence and share their conclusions.
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Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Monash University
Responsibility for children is scattered across portfolios, including social services, education, health and Indigenous affairs.
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Anita Manfreda, Torrens University Australia; Simon Pawson, Torrens University Australia
Tourism Australia’s new campaign is slick and star-studded, but still stuck in the past. After 40 years of clichés, isn’t it time to tell a new story?
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Heather Shearer, Griffith University; Paul Burton, Griffith University
Tiny houses can normalise smaller, more sustainable living. So why are some owners facing eviction?
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Amy Pennay, La Trobe University
Campaigns designed to help us cut back on alcohol don’t always reach those most at risk of harm. Here’s what we should be doing instead.
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Adam Brumm, Griffith University; Basran Burhan, Griffith University; Gerrit (Gert) van den Bergh, University of Wollongong; Maxime Aubert, Griffith University; Renaud Joannes-Boyau, Southern Cross University
It’s the first evidence that early humans made a formidable sea crossing from the mainland to Sulawesi at least 1 million years ago.
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Raf Freire, Charles Sturt University
Cockatoo owners often record their pets dancing to music. Now, researchers have catalogued many of their complex dance moves.
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Alice Grundy, Australian National University
Exemptions to copyright legislation for AI would disadvantage Australian writers – and set a bad precedent.
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Politics + Society
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is set allow all competition to the ASX.
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Adam Simpson, University of South Australia
Myanmar’s generals are planning an election the opposition has slammed as a sham. They could see Trump’s interest in the country as a way of legitimising the polls.
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Terry Goldsworthy, Bond University
Many of us fear our streets are getting less safe, but what does the data say about violent crime in Australia?
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Health + Medicine
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Margaret Murray, Swinburne University of Technology
While it can work as a good rule of thumb, there’s more to nutrition than just the number of ingredients.
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Business + Economy
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Martin Duck, University of Sydney
The new proposal to phase out tax breaks on more than one investment property would affect around 1% of Australians.
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Education
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Lisa Maurice-Takerei, Auckland University of Technology
Filling the skills gap through immigration denies young New Zealanders a pathway to meaningful employment. Only proper vocational training reform can fix that.
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Environment + Energy
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Nigel Stork, Griffith University; Adam Sharp, University of Hong Kong
The research suggests the life-support system underpinning the tropics is at serious risk in a warmer world.
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Juli Gaviraghi Mussoi, University of Waikato; Kristal Cain, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
New research shows common mynas sang fewer and less complex songs after a bad night’s sleep. Poor-quality song could affect a bird’s ability to reproduce and survive.
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Science + Technology
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Steffen A. Herff, University of Sydney; Ceren Ayyildiz, University of Sydney
When people listen to music, they’re more likely to imagine social interactions.
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Arts + Culture
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Liz Spry, Deakin University; Craig Olsson, Deakin University
A recent report found about three in four US teens have used AI companion apps – many of which have little to no safeguards from harmful content.
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Books + Ideas
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David Carter, The University of Queensland
Bookshelves as decor were trends in the 19th and 20th-centuries, too. So were book-of-the-month clubs and popular media on books. They helped make reading popular.
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Global compassion fatigue
“When people are ground down by injustice within the very systems meant to protect them, it becomes harder to sustain outrage for suffering overseas. But as Cecilia Hoppenjans (Your Say, August 6) so rightly reminds us, our duty as humans remains: silence in the face of suffering is complicity. Whether it is the Palestinian people or those destroyed by domestic institutions, the loss of empathy is not just a symptom — it is a grim warning.”
Jon Wannberg, Inaugural AASW Fellow
Government transparency
“I was surprised to read Gabrielle Appleby's article criticising the decrease in government transparency. Making things publicly available doesn’t just mean allowing access to ordinary Australians, it could also mean giving this info to foreign governments' intelligence services acting in disguise. [ASIO boss Mike] Burgess seems to say the threat is vastly increasing, so perhaps the reduction in government transparency is a valid response to that.”
Alice Jones
Caring for family
“Thank you Danica I. J. Knežević for the deep beauty of your article, exploring the experience of being a carer. I cried. Caring for my own mother was an incredible learning curve and an opportunity I am grateful for.”
Isabelle Canty
We'd love to hear from you. You can email us with your thoughts on our stories and each day we'll publish an edited selection.
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