With the eyes of the world rightly trained on Iran, Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy’s warning to his employees about artificial intelligence’s threat to their jobs feels like a bit of a sideshow. But in the long run, Jassy’s gloomy prediction may turn out to be a deeply consequential moment for many Australians.

Jassy’s warning that Amazon will end up with a smaller workforce because of AI isn’t necessarily new. The potential threat posed to white-collar jobs from the technology has been recognised by several Australian chief executives, including Telstra boss Vicki Brady and Commonwealth Bank’s Matt Comyn. But there’s a bigger shift already under way in the labour market that could compound the impact of AI.