The robots are coming... (for your job?)
There’s a LOT of noise about AI and the future of work right now – just to add to your doomscrolling and moral panic. It’s only ever either end of the spectrum, too - either breathless hype or doom and gloom. Let’s take a pause. For most Aussie businesses, AI won’t suddenly replace entire departments overnight. What it will do is quietly change how jobs are done. And with most revolutions, we’re not ready- and will be left behind if we don’t start adapting now.
What the Research Is Telling Us (So Far):
There’s no definitive playbook (Adapt now but figure it out on your own! Off you go! All the best!)
A recent UN report flagged that AI’s impact won’t be evenly distributed - women, especially those in admin-heavy roles, are more exposed to risk. Meanwhile, a Danish study found AI hasn’t made a huge dent in productivity or employment… yet. In other words: the tech is here, but the true disruption is still unfolding. So, it’s not about fearing it. It’s about designing for it very carefully.
So What Does Smart AI Adoption Actually Look Like?
Whilst we wish they would, most companies aren’t asking “How do we do AI ethically and inclusively?” They’re asking, “How do we do it fast without effing everything up?”
The high-level way to think about it:
Let AI do the grunt work – repetitive tasks, data clean-up, basic insights.
Let people do the high-stakes stuff – creativity, judgement, empathy, strategy.
This is where human-AI collaboration is cool. When your customer support team are armed with an AI agent that gives them more info, faster- their job isn’t replaced. It’s made more powerful and your customers win.
Why This Matters in an Australian Context
Warning: moral panic message. We’ve got a looming skills shortage in tech, a cost-of-living crunch, and a workforce that’s quietly burning out. Slapping AI tools on top of broken systems won’t help. If we integrate AI while also investing in internal mobility and reskilling, well... That’s when the real value kicks in.
Let’s Not Waste the Moment
If we’re serious about doing this well, a few things need to happen:
Reskilling needs to be a budget line item, not a nice-to-have.
AI tools need to be designed with fairness and inclusion in mind (bias in, bias out).
Companies need to talk to their people early, openly, and often.
AI strategies should reflect your values, not just your margins.
Curious to Hear Your Thoughts
If your team is experimenting with AI (or avoiding it altogether!), we’d love to hear what’s working (and what’s not). Are you using AI to reduce workload, or just to cut costs? Are your people excited or freaked out?
We’re building Neoma to help businesses do this well, and we’re always up for a chat.
