The AI jobs debate has a twist, and it's good news for some grads — Dynamic Business
The AI jobs debate has a twist, and it's good news for some grads — Dynamic Business
摘要: The AI jobs debate has a twist, and it's good news for some grads
Is AI locking young Australians out of work? SEEK's latest job ad analysis says the
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The AI jobs debate has a twist, and it's good news for some grads
Is AI locking young Australians out of work? SEEK's latest job ad analysis says the picture is far more mixed than the headlines suggest.
Yajush Gupta
10 Sept 2026
min read
The AI jobs debate has a twist, and it's good news for some grads
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Dynamic Business
The debate about AI replacing young workers isn't as cut-and-dried as it seems. According to a recent analysis from job marketplace SEEK, the situation is more complex than the alarming headlines would have you believe.
SEEK looked at millions of Australian job ads across knowledge-based occupations and found two forces pulling in opposite directions: augmentation and automation. Where AI mostly helps people do their jobs better or faster, early-career opportunities have grown. Where AI mostly does the job itself, those opportunities have shrunk.
For now, the growth effect looks stronger than the decline. That's a genuinely useful data point for small business owners wondering whether AI tools mean they need fewer junior staff, or just different ones.
SEEK Chief Economist Dr Blair Chapman puts it simply: "AI may be increasing demand for junior workers in some white-collar roles, particularly where it helps workers do tasks more effectively rather than replacing them outright. In other roles, AI appears to reduce demand by doing some tasks itself. This suggests the labour market effects of AI are still unfolding."
Winners and losers
The spread between occupations is significant. Electronics Engineers saw a 3.0 percentage-point increase in their early-career job ad share in 2025, while Civil Engineering Professionals rose 2.7 percentage points. Advertising and Marketing Professionals grew 1.2 percentage points too, even though the role has high exposure to both augmentation (79%) and automation (54%), suggesting the helpful side of AI is currently winning out there.
It's a different story for roles tipping