AI is now costing some Australian office workers their jobs. Here are the key facts, fast.

The short version

  • Employment lawyers say AI-linked redundancies in office roles now reach them about every week.
  • Hardest hit: copywriting, coding, data analytics and administration.
  • 32 per cent of surveyed workers say they would have chosen a different career.
  • The federal government prefers voluntary expectations over a dedicated AI law.

These comments and figures came out in May 2026. Here is what sits behind them.

Which jobs are exposed?

Desk jobs with repeatable tasks. One employment law specialist said many duties in writing, programming, data work and admin can now be done by AI to some extent. Two years earlier, lawyers were not thinking about this at all.

Hands-on work is less exposed. Australia has plenty of physical jobs, which gives it some protection. But a business academic at a Sydney university warned that the country may be more exposed than it realises, because office jobs grew while manufacturing shrank.

What workers told surveyors

Roughly half have not noticed AI in their work yet. About 40 per cent feel unprepared for big changes. And one in three wish they had taken a different path, knowing what they know now about AI.

What could change at work

Unions are expected to push in coming enterprise agreement talks for one of two things: clauses that stop AI replacing staff, or bigger redundancy payments when it does. The media union already won a no-replacement deal with an independent publisher last year.

The lawyer also expects Australia to wait and see. It is behind the US on adoption, so it can watch what happens there first. US white-collar jobs fell in 2025, with large cuts at some of the biggest companies.

Where Canberra stands

  • No AI Act: the government chose not to proceed with a National Artificial Intelligence Act. An independent ACT senator wants one and calls the current approach "let it rip".
  • National AI Plan: aims to spread the benefits while keeping people safe, with AI and digital skills at its centre.
  • Tracking: early employment department data shows workforce change has not sped up so far.
  • Safety: an AI Safety Institute was set up last year.
  • Data centres: five principles released in March, including investing in Australian skills and jobs.

Big tech is investing too: Microsoft announced $25 billion for AI infrastructure and skills in Australia, and Anthropic signed a memorandum with the government.

What to do if you work in an office

  • List the parts of your job that need judgement, people skills or deep knowledge. Lead with those.
  • Learn the AI tools in your field and how to check their output.
  • Keep your CV current so you can move quickly if your role changes.
  • Browse career and training options on the government's Your Career site.

Looking for your next role, office or hands-on? Search the latest jobs on JobFinder and apply with your CV ready.