New data reveals Victorians are at a higher risk of AI job domination

Artificial intelligence will impact the job security of thousands of Victorians with some suburbs ranking the most in danger in Australia, a new report has revealed.

Artificial intelligence and automation will impact the job security of thousands of Victorians, a new report has revealed.

Melbourne could see as many as 16,490 individuals impacted by the integration of AI in their industry, followed closely by Point Cook with 16,132 and Craigieburn with 12,667 people, respectively.

Data released on Tuesday by Suburbtrends revealed the top 20 suburbs in Australia which will likely face automation shifts in the workforce.

Berwick, Tarneit and Reservoir were also in the top 20 nationwide.

Suburbtrends founder and report lead author Ken Lardner said “white collar” jobs were most at risk of being impacted by the integration of AI.

“It looks like information media and communications will be impacted the most, followed by professional, scientific, technical services, financial and insurance services,” he said.

According to the report, a 50 per cent increase in labour productivity due to automation and technology would mean that the same quantity of output could theoretically be produced with half of the current labour input.

“These numbers underscore the need for Australia to prepare for a future where AI and automation will undoubtedly play an increasingly pivotal role. It‘s not necessarily about job losses, but job transformation,” he said.

“Areas with higher concentrations of workers in certain industries might feel the effects more intensely, and we need to be ready for that.”

But Small Business Australia executive director Bill Lang said the AI would only threaten the jobs of those workers who did not embrace the new technologies and tools to “upskill themselves”.

“We can expect to see workers, especially in knowledge-based industries, that would take several hours to complete a task will no longer require that time. But we will find a new set of tasks that workers will be required to do,” he said.

“And those who have mastered using artificial intelligence tools will be best equipped to fulfil those tasks and fill those jobs.”

Mr Lang said the idea of AI taking over humanity was a question for “humans” and their practices but far-fetched.

“Humans allow the artificial intelligence-powered computers so ultimately the human set the rules. If we pass over the power for setting the rules to the machines, then we‘ve got some problems,” he said.

RMIT University Blockchain Innovation Hub research fellow Nataliya Ilyushina said introducing new automated technology would enhance the workforce instead of disrupting it.

“These technologies are less likely to take away the job — they’re more likely to improve the productivity within the job,” she said.

“Generative AI has more capacity to replace certain tasks within finance and IT jobs, but we‘re not talking about replacing the whole occupation, which is two different things, and that’s why I think people don’t quite understand that.”

Dr Ilyushina said the workforce should “use AI as much as possible to adapt to the changing times”.

“The best way is to start using it as much as possible to find out which one suits your job and yourself better,” she said.