Canaries in AI coalmine still chirping, jobs data shows
Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth says AI has not yet negatively impacted graduate recruitment, although some professions are starting to show signs of softening.
In her opening speech on Tuesday, Ms Rishworth will preview new government data showing the effects of artificial intelligence on the job market, as she announces a new forum bringing together employer groups and unions to increase cooperation in rolling out the technology.
“Pleasingly, employment outcomes for young higher education graduates have been positive despite some expectations that they could be ‘canaries in the coal mine’ for AI in the workplace,” he told the AFR Workforce Summit in Sydney.
“We are not seeing a high rate of compositional change, meaning that the mix of jobs in the economy is not changing any faster than normal.
“But we are starting to see a slight softening in the growth rate of occupations most exposed to AI adoption, such as file clerks or keyboard operators.”
The government is trying to balance unions’ concerns that unleashing artificial intelligence unsupervised in workplaces would impact job safety with warnings from employers that over-regulating the technology could threaten a potential productivity boon.
Labor ministers, including Ms Rishworth, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Deputy Productivity Minister Andrew Leigh, praised the potential of AI to boost productivity.
But Ms Rishworth will say it is crucial that workers are brought on this journey and the benefits of AI are shared, which is why dialogue between government, unions and business is so important.
“One of the ways we can build this dialogue is through the newly upgraded AI Employment and Workplaces Forum,” he will say, according to an excerpt from the speech.
The new forum, which includes the secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions and senior executives from employer groups such as the Business Council Australia and the Australian Industry Group, will meet for the first time in Adelaide on Wednesday.
Top of the agenda: How to build trust in the adoption of artificial intelligence.
This could mean, for example, that employers ensure their employees are provided with information about how AI is being used in their workplace.
Themes of talent, transparency, security and productivity will also be discussed at the forum.
“These themes will shape our discussions about how we can build shared understanding and translate these themes into agreed outcomes,” Ms Rishworth said.
At an economic roundtable in August 2025, Dr. Chalmers announced that the government will conduct a gap analysis to see whether current legislation is sufficient to regulate AI or whether it will require a comprehensive bill.
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