Employment data shows the early signs of disruption to AI jobs are already here

There’s been no shortage of bold claims about artificial intelligence (AI) and jobs lately – from mass unemployment to excessive distraction. Much of this debate is speculative. It is often self-serving when the tech giants promote their own products.

But beyond the hype, my analysis of new US labor market data shows how AI is already starting to reshape work – and what could soon follow in Australia.

What history tells us about technological change

Exposure to new technologies does not necessarily mean job losses. Technology often changes tasks or increases productivity.

But when change occurs quickly, disruption and widespread job cuts can still occur – as recently seen at tech companies Atlassian, Block and WiseTech.

To understand this moment, it is helpful to look back. Researchers have long studied how large “general-purpose technologies” transform economies.

Although every wave of innovation – from Steam…