Key events
Potential of AI is immense but it could cost jobs, says productivity chief
Daisy Dumas
Australia’s productivity commissioner says that the opportunities of artificial intelligence are “immense” – but will deliver some job losses.
Speaking to the ABC’s 7.30 last night, Danielle Wood said the prediction by the chief executive of the US AI company Anthropic that the technology could potentially wipe out half of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years was “pretty extraordinary” and “out of whack with other reasonable projections” she had seen.
Instead, she said the more routine elements of jobs will be taken over by AI, “freeing people up to do the uniquely human parts of jobs”.
“Am I going to sit here and say, ‘No jobs are going to go?’ No, clearly not. There will be some impacts,” she said, adding that AI will also create jobs that “we can’t even imagine yet”.
“There’s a huge amount of opportunity, and I think we have to remember that piece. I know so many people that are now using it in their jobs, and they can see the way that it is freeing up some of those less good parts of their jobs,” she said.
Josh Butler spoke to Tim Ayres about this very issue, in a story out today, who said there would be “a lot to gain” from embracing AI, particularly highlighting potential boosts to productivity and economic growth.
Ayres, who grew up on a cattle farm near Lismore, said both white-collar and traditional blue-collar jobs could reap benefits from adopting automation and new technology – and that “the cold reality that the only thing more disruptive in the labour market is standing back and allowing Australia to become a cul-de-sac in technological terms.”—-
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The new industry and science minister, Tim Ayres, warns today that Australia must “lean in hard” to the benefits of artificial intelligence or else risk ending up “on the end of somebody else’s supply chain”. His comments follow an appearance by Australia’s productivity commissioner on 7.30 last night in which she said AI could cost jobs. More coming up.
We’ll bring you news soon of a big aged care provider which is closing next month.
And parties in Tasmania will be gearing up for another election campaign today after the state’s governor said she had been left with no choice but to call a poll to resolve the Apple Isle’s political crisis. We’ll have the latest.
