RISE OF THE MACHINE
ROBOTS and computers are poised to pinch more than 25,000 jobs from Geelong workers, a new report reveals.
Sales assistants, salespeople, hospitality workers and food preparation assistants are most at risk of losing their jobs to automation, according to data from the Regional Australia Institute.
The data found the City of Greater Geelong had 25,882 jobs considered highly vulnerable to being lost to automation, and a further 28,765 jobs considered moderately vulnerable.
The think-tank found jobs in regional cities were most susceptible — with 28.1 per cent considered high risk — but suggested innovations in digital technology would also breed new jobs.
“Our research demonstrates regional cities have the capacity to transform more readily due to their increased level of innovation, entrepreneurial skills, technological readiness and a capable local education sector to help them adapt,” RAI chief executive Jack Archer said.
“While there are less highly vulnerable jobs in rural areas, it may be more difficult for these areas to respond unless there are changes
Applied to ABS employment data last year, the prediction amounted to 74,898 jobs with a high probability of being lost to computerisation or automation by 2030.
Report author and former CEDA chief economist Nathan Taylor stood by the forecast last year, saying the changes had started — such as self-serve checkouts replacing humans.
“Regional Australia has less than two decades left to adapt for the robot age,” Mr Taylor told The Australian last year. “Humans no longer have the upper hand.
“Unaddressed, automation will gut regional communities and accelerate the exodus of talented individuals to the big cities as it reduces the need for professional services in the regions.”
Scientist Stephen Hawking also weighed into the discussion in recent years, saying it was “inevitable” the automation and artificial intelligence would decimate jobs.
“The automation of factories has already decimated jobs in traditional manufacturing, and the rise of artificial intelligence is likely to extend this job destruction deep into the middle classes, with only the most caring, creative or supervisory roles remaining,” Professor Hawking warned in a column in The Guardian.