By Shane Wright
Publication Date: 2026-06-01 18:00:00
Groundbreaking research shows artificial intelligence is starting to harm the prospects of employees, including white-collar workers and telemarketers, just as Australian companies are now embarking on a $155 billion data center spending boom that is growing faster than the mining boom of the 2010s.
Based on nationwide wage and salary data, research by Monash University economist Zac Gross shows that while there are early signs that the AI revolution is making some parts of the labor market weaker, it has not yet impacted the wages of the people most exposed to the technology.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed businesses spent a record $6 billion on AI-related equipment and machinery in the first three months of the year – a 400 percent increase in a year.
As soon as new buildings are taken into account…
