Artificial intelligence is making increasing inroads into the Australian workplace, but one education and skills training leader sees it as an opportunity, not a thing to lament.

Global education company Pearson’s AI modelling division, Faethm, recently found that just three technologies are responsible for 80 per cent of the impact of artificial intelligence on the workforce.

These include robotic process automation, simple chatbots, and the more complex large-language model (LLM) chatbots.

And the Faethm data also showed which industries were set to feel the heaviest impacts from AI in the coming three years, namely, professional, scientific, and technical services; financial and insurance services; health and social care; and manufacturing.

Pearson Enterprise Learning and Skills Asia Pacific vice president Craig McFarlane said this data revealed a number of truths.

“A lot of people have their head in the sand about AI,” he said.

“This is not a head-in-the-sand moment.”

McFarlane said Pearson’s focus was on the skills gaps likely to emerge in the next few years – what workplace activity would become redundant, and, crucially, the new skills that would be required.

But he emphasised the potential in AI for improving productivity and offering everybody new opportunities in the workplace.

“The first step is around awareness of what this can do and how it can help you,” he said.

“We tell people go out and experiment with what’s out there, have a play – the best way to learn how to do something is by trying it.”

Fears of job losses linger in the air of many discussions around AI, but McFarlane suggested that was born of a limited perspective.

“When (Microsoft) Excel came out, everybody thought it was going to be the death of the accounting sector – this magic program could do it all for you,” he said.

“But I mean, accountancy is stronger than ever. Industries pivot.”

What will change as AI becomes ever more ingrained, however, is peoples’ roles in their respective workplace.

AI is likely to fill workplace needs for process-based tasks, such as administration and support – McFarlane estimates he can save up to a day going through post-holiday emails now compared to three years ago.

“The data shows which early-career industries could be most affected as well,” he said.

“We have to rethink how we prepare young people for the workforce.”