Most Australians are overwhelmed by changes led by artificial intelligence in the workplace, according to a top LinkedIn executive, but even more bosses are eager to deploy the technology.
A study conducted for the corporate social network also found most job skills would evolve by the end of the decade, and workers who could design or deploy AI were more likely to be in high demand.
Workers who could transition into roles designing AI, such as software engineers, could benefit from current trends.Credit: Pexels
LinkedIn chief operating officer Dan Shapero revealed the findings at the company’s Talent Connect event in Sydney on Tuesday, where it also launched its first AI agent designed to assist recruiters.
The event comes as the Australian government considers mandatory regulations to govern the use of AI within businesses, and months after the release of voluntary guidelines for the technology.
Surveys conducted for LinkedIn by Censuswide and YouGov, revealed at its annual Sydney event, found more than eight in 10 business leaders planned to deploy AI tools as a priority this year, and seven in 10 felt the pace of change was accelerating.
But enthusiasm towards AI was not shared throughout businesses, Shapero said, as changes inspired by the technology had left many employees nervous about their roles.
“What’s interesting is the pace of change is being accompanied by a general feeling of overwhelm by most professionals,” he told AAP. “In the case of Australia, (seven) in 10 professionals say they feel overwhelmed about how quickly their jobs are changing.”
Workers who could transition into roles designing AI, such as software engineers, could benefit from current trends, Shapero said, as AI roles had surged by 240 per cent in Australia over the past eight years.
Other employees would also need to retrain or adapt their skills to meet evolving demands, he said, or risk losing out on emerging roles.
