A new report reveals which jobs are most at risk from AI over the next five years.

While AI 'godfathers' and tech leaders, such as Microsoft's Bill Gates, continue to warn about the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, the question is shifting from whether to when.

According to a new comprehensive study, the jobs that face the highest risk of automation have been identified.

What jobs are at risk of AI?

The Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) conducted the most thorough research of its kind in Australia, evaluating occupations based on how easily their tasks could be automated or enhanced by AI technology.

The study found five job categories face the highest automation risk:

• Data Entry & Transcription (0.72)
• Documentation & Record Keeping (0.65)
• Financial & Accounting (0.57)
• Communication & Liaison (0.47)
• Research & Investigation (0.45)

These rankings reflect each profession's share of tasks that AI could potentially handle.

“Many clerical tasks – that were not affected by previous waves of automation – could now be undertaken in large part by Gen AI,” the report revealed.

Looking towards the year 2050, the report found that office clerks, receptionists, bookkeepers, sales, marketing and public relations professionals, business and systems analysts and programmers would experience the most job losses.

Which jobs are safer from AI?

Conversely, certain occupations are expected to see employment gains.

These included cleaners and laundry workers, public administration and safety roles, business administration managers, construction and mining labourers, and hospitality workers.

Change vs. replacement

On a positive note, a key takeaway from the report was that AI was much more likely to change how current jobs operate rather than replace them entirely.

“Nearly half of all workers are currently in occupations with low automation and medium augmentation scores, suggesting the occupation would more likely experience change rather than disruption,” the report said.

The JSA reported a 'significant' decline in voice acting work due to generative AI, with one talent agency noting an 80% collapse in demand for content video narration. They also found that AI would lead to slower employment growth through the 2030s but faster growth in the following decade.

Major companies are implementing changes too. Commonwealth Bank recently eliminated dozens of call centre positions, replacing them with chatbots.

Meanwhile, Telstra's CEO, Vicki Brady, announced that 'AI efficiencies' would enable workforce reductions by 2030, although the company denied that the recent 550 job cuts were AI-related.

Importantly, every scenario projected more Australian jobs by 2050 in a world with AI than without it.

In response to the rise and adoption of AI, JSA officials emphasised the need for workforce preparation. They called for a 'national leadership framework' that involves all levels of government to equip Australians with the necessary skills for the AI era.

“Let’s make sure the education and training sector is geared up for this and ready. AI is a foundational skill now – everyone is going to be some form of ‘prompt engineer,’" said JSA’s commissioner, Barney Glover. “We want to future-proof our young people, so let’s give them the skills they need.

He added: “We need the cognitive and critical thinking skills. That’s why it’s critical to support the humanities and social sciences, which have developed these critical thinking skills over centuries.”