Six-in-ten say they’re scared their job will be taken by GenAI
Australians are the most concerned about job losses because of artificial intelligence (AI), according to research.
ServiceNow’s AI Maturity Index claims Australia is going backwards in the race to harness AI, falling 10 points in AI readiness in the past year, with six-in-ten Australians fear their job will be lost to generative AI – the highest reported globally.
The survey of 560 senior leaders across Australia also found only a third of businesses (33%) have a clear AI vision in place, with 43% having formalised data governance – and around 670,000 roles set to be automated by 2030.
The reason for fear and lack of readiness, the report outlines, is down to Australian business leaders not having a strategy in place to implement the new technology and are failing to upskill workers.
Just 37% of organisations have the correct skills and talent to execute AI plans, the findings show.
Reasons for AI anxiety
Many Australian businesses are said to be “straddling a dangerous middle ground” by accelerating AI spend without clear plans and metrics – putting profit margins and workplace security at risk.
With agentic AI advancing at a rapid rate, the report warns of falling behind a once-in-a-generation technological change, with leaders being encouraged to act to avoid missing out.
“Australian organisations have just five years to deploy an effective AI strategy that positions them to reap the financial and productivity benefits of automation and protect their workforces’ job security and growth potential through upskilling,” the report reads.
This, however, needs to be done with clear guidelines in place – with 71% of business leaders not mapping the skills they need to operationalise an AI strategy.
Almost two-thirds (63%) are seen as lacking the resources and talent within their organisations to execute their AI plans.
Strategic importance of adopting new technology
Utilising AI has both commercial and strategic advantages, according to ServiceNow, with workforces such as India’s expected to grow 95% by the turn of the decade, driven by digital transformation and talent availability.
While Australia lags at 37% growth with just 150,000 new technology roles, significantly less than the goal of 1.2m roles by 2030 put forward by the Tech Council.
“Our nation is at a tipping point and without immediate action, weak AI strategies and talent shortfalls could derail Australia's productivity ambitions,” says ServiceNow’s Employee Experience Director, APAC, Danielle Magnusson.
“But for those with strong leadership, an enterprise-wide AI platform, and an upskilling agenda, AI offers a clear path to smarter, faster, more resilient business.”
