The Australian tech sector is in crisis and it’s set to intensify with AI.

That’s the key message from the Australian Computer Society’s Digital Pulse 2023 report, which also found artificial intelligence will disrupt up to 90 per cent of Australian jobs.

To tackle the impending crisis, ACS proposes a National Digital Skills Strategy including a skills-first education and training initiative; a national skills platform; more support for career transitions towards a tech-orientated career; programs to boost participation by women; and assisting skilled migrants to utilise their capabilities.

There are currently 928,000 Australians working in technology jobs, a figure set to climb to over a million by 2030.

“By 2030, we will need 1.3 million additional skills to effectively utilise the technologies reshaping the Australian workforce,” said ACS CEO Chris Vein.

“Forecasts from [this ninth] Digital Pulse suggests Australia is not on track to achieve the growth in skills we need.

“This year’s Digital Pulse is not merely a call to action; it's a robust, practical roadmap to build the nationwide tech skills we need.

“The report calls for a coalition across industry, education and government to start shaping how our society will respond to the skills challenge this exciting era presents.”

Key findings from the report include:

  • A lack of the right digital skills is currently costing Australian businesses $3.1 billion each year which could top $16bn by 2030.
  • The pace of technology investment in Australia is projected to skyrocket from $171 billion in 2023 to $259 billion by 2030 – this rate of growth is three times faster than overall business investment
  • By the end of the decade, half of Australian businesses will be using AI, data analytics and robotics but technologies like Generative AI mean businesses will need to do more to keep up with their employees shifting skills and demands
  • 75% of working hours for Australian workers will be affected by key technologies, heralding a significant skill shift across industries.

“The stakes are high for Australia,” Mr Vein said.

“If the nation can get this right, we could be leading the world and guaranteeing our prosperity into the future.

“If we don’t seize the opportunity, we could well be left behind by the middle of the century.”

ACS Digital Pulse 2023 will be launched at the National Press Club in Canberra tomorrow night.

Copies of the report can be downloaded from the ACS website.