Jobs are changing fast. AI tools can now write, analyse, and make decisions that used to need a person. But not every worker faces the same level of risk. Some jobs are highly exposed, while others are much safer. This article looks at who is most likely to be affected, which skills still matter, and what it all means for workers in Australia.
Each bar shows how likely a job is to be automated by AI — from 0% (very safe) to 100% (highly at risk). Based on research by Felten, Raj & Seamans (2023) and the OECD Employment Outlook (2023). Hover over any bar for details.
Key takeaway: Office and admin jobs sit at the top of the risk list. Jobs that involve hands-on work, care, or complex thinking are much safer. The key question is simple: can a computer follow a fixed set of rules to do the job? If yes, it is at risk.
Each bubble is a country. The further right, the more prepared it is for AI. The higher up, the more jobs are at risk. Bigger bubbles mean more of the workforce is in high risk jobs. Source: Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index (2023); Oxford Martin School (2023). Hover for details.
Key takeaway: Australia is in a solid spot high readiness and moderate risk. But poorer countries are caught in a tough position: lots of workers in risky jobs, and far fewer resources to help people retrain. This is not just a tech story, it’s a fairness story.
This heatmap shows how likely each skill type is to be automated across different industries. Darker red means higher automation risk, light pink means lower risk. Source: WEF Future of Jobs Report (2023); McKinsey Global Institute (2023). Hover for exact values.
Key takeaway: Processing data and handling customer requests are the two skills most likely to be replaced across almost every industry. Emotional intelligence and creative thinking are consistently the hardest for AI to replicate and these are the skills worth developing.
Tracks three things from 2017 to 2023: how much money went into AI globally, how many AI-related jobs were advertised, and how many workers lost their jobs to automation. Source: Stanford AI Index Report (2024); OECD Labour Force Statistics (2023). Click the legend to show or hide each line.
Key takeaway: AI investment grew by over 470% between 2017 and 2023. Demand for AI workers rose sharply too but so did the number of people losing jobs to automation. The gains are going to a small group of skilled workers, while the costs are spread much more widely.
Each bubble represents a group of Australian workers at a different education level. Bigger bubbles mean more workers in that group. Darker colour means higher weekly earnings. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Labour Force Survey (2023); OECD Education at a Glance (2023). Hover for details.
Key takeaway: More education does lower your AI risk and it also comes with better pay. But even workers with a bachelor degree still face some exposure. The biggest concern is the nearly 900,000 Australians with no formal qualification. They face the highest risk and have the fewest options to change direction.
AI is not replacing every job, it’s replacing specific tasks. Jobs built around processing information, answering routine questions, or following fixed steps are most at risk. Jobs that need empathy, creativity, or hands-on skill in changing environments are much safer.
For Australia, the challenge is not just about technology, it’s about fairness. The workers most exposed to AI are also the least likely to have access to retraining programs. If nothing changes, the gap between high skill and low skill workers will keep widening.
The good news is that the window to act is still open. Investing in vocational education, reskilling, and digital literacy now could make the difference between a fair transition and a painful one.
References
Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2023). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3438225
OECD. (2023). OECD Employment Outlook 2023. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/08785bba-en
Oxford Insights. (2023). Government AI Readiness Index 2023. https://oxfordinsights.com/ai-readiness/ai-readiness-index/
World Economic Forum. (2023). Future of Jobs Report 2023. https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023
McKinsey Global Institute. (2023). The economic potential of generative AI. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/the-economic-potential-of-generative-ai
Stanford HAI. (2024). AI Index Report 2024. https://aiindex.stanford.edu/report/
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023). Labour Force Survey. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia
OECD. (2023). Education at a Glance 2023. https://doi.org/10.1787/e13bef63-en