Jobs in data entry, record-keeping, accounting, and communications are among the most vulnerable to potential automation by generative artificial intelligence in Australia, according to a new government study.

The first-of-its-kind Generative AI Capacity Study, carried out by Jobs and Skills Australia, found the technology had “a greater capacity to augment work than automate work” — but administrative roles, entry-level workers, and occupations typically dominated by women were more exposed to automation.

Older workers, First Nations Australians, and people with disability may also “face disproportionate risks due to occupational concentration and digital access gaps”, according to the 124-page report.

Commissioner of Jobs and Skills Australia, Professor Barney Glover, said while AI presented many opportunities for the nation, it had the potential to automate some tasks in the labour market.

“This has the potential to displace people in some jobs, particularly administrative and clerical roles,” he said.

Speaking to the 2025 TechLeaders summit via video link on Monday, Minister for Industry, Innovation, and Science, Tim Ayres, suggested generative AI may lead to “some displacement in the labour market”, similar to previous waves of technological change.

“But it’s also true that there’s no going backwards, and that going backwards itself leads to disinvestment and poorer outcomes in terms of good quality jobs,” he said.

The jobs most (and least) exposed to automation

The Jobs and Skills Australia study found current generative AI technologies were “more likely to enhance workers' efforts in completing tasks, rather than replace them, especially in high-skilled occupations”.

However, it still found some roles faced “repeated exposure to automation with limited mobility options”.

Jobs set to lose the most employment by 2050 included office clerks, receptionists, bookkeepers, and professionals in sales, marketing, public relations, business analysis, and programming, according to the report.

A recent study by Microsoft researchers also found the jobs most exposed to AI chatbots included interpreters and translators, historians, sales and customer service representatives, and writers and authors.

Australian companies such as the Commonwealth Bank have already replaced some support staff with AI chatbots, while telecommunications giant Telstra said AI would help shrink its workforce by 2030.

The occupations which could gain the most employment in Australia by 2050 included cleaners and laundry workers, midwifery and nursing professionals, business administration managers, construction and mining labourers, and hospitality workers, according to the Jobs and Skills study.

While the research found entry-level jobs “may be more likely to transform than diminish”, it also suggested the technology sector “may be among the first to restructure its entry-level intake”.

There was no evidence of widespread displacement of entry-level jobs in Australia yet, according to the report, which suggested this “may partly reflect the early stage of adoption” domestically.

“While we haven’t yet seen an impact on entry-level roles in Australia, it will be important that the labour market continues to provide these valuable formative roles, which provide foundational experiences in their careers,” said Commissioner Glover.

‘Adaptability will be critical’

With the increasing use of AI set to change how many people work, the Jobs and Skills Australia study found proactive planning and a focus on skills such as critical thinking, communication, and adaptability were “essential”.

“Adaptability will be critical for Australia to realise the potential benefits from AI, which will see new jobs emerge and existing jobs change,” said Glover.

"Australia is at the beginning of an exciting evolution, but we must ensure we bring our people with us, through upskilling, training, and capacity building.”

Minister Ayres said the report highlighted social institutions such as employers and trade unions needed to “engage about making sure that we’re working together on these challenges”.

“What we need to do is to make sure that we’ve got cooperative relationships in Australian workplaces and good strong policy dialogue at the national level,” he said.

“There are no easy answers in terms of the labour market questions.”

Ayres dismissed doomsday scenarios of widespread job losses to AI, which he said were pushed by so-called “tech boosters”.

He said he was interested in what governments, unions, and the private sector could do “to make sure that we’re lifting the skills and capabilities of Australians as they approach this new set of technologies”.

Jobs and Skills Australia made 10 recommendations for the nation’s labour market and skills system, including establishing a “National Compact” mechanism “to foster shared understanding and secure commitments from labour market actors during this critical transition period”.

Australian business groups issued a joint statement in response to recommendations for government-led stewardship in the AI transition, and argued it would harm industry by adding "additional bureaucratic layers”.

The groups, which included the Business Council of Australia, said there was “no evidence to support a government stewardship approach for AI, or for more regulation".

The comments also came after Australia's Productivity Commission recommended AI-specific laws be “a last resort” for government earlier this month, given the technology’s potential economic benefits.