Top 5 Australian Government Jobs Most at Risk from AI and How Public Servants Can Adapt
AI is automating routine government roles like administrative officers and receptionists, improving efficiency but requiring staff to upskill in AI oversight. Agencies must combine AI use with human judgment and clear governance.
Top 5 Government Jobs Most at Risk from AI in Australia – And How to Adapt
Artificial intelligence is changing how Australian government services operate, especially in roles heavy on routine tasks. Five government jobs stand out as most exposed to AI-driven automation: administrative officers, receptionists, bookkeepers, communications officers, and records clerks.
For example, Medicare processing times have been cut in half in some pilots, AI receptionists have reduced no-show rates by 22–25%, and automated document processing now achieves near 99% accuracy. These changes are real and demand a practical response.
Why Public Servants Should Pay Attention
AI is already influencing how services are delivered and decisions made. New legal frameworks propose treating employment-related AI systems as “high-risk,” and government bodies like the Digital Transformation Agency are releasing guidance on safe AI use. Agencies face budget and capability pressures but also clear efficiency gains.
The path forward combines cautious, risk-aware AI adoption with focused upskilling. Programs teaching staff how to use AI tools, write effective prompts, and ensure privacy will help maintain public trust without sacrificing efficiency.
How We Identified the Most At-Risk Roles
The list is based on Australian evidence, including economy-wide modeling and the Jobs and Skills Australia Generative AI Capacity Study. This research assessed 998 occupations for automation exposure, focusing on routine, rules-based tasks common in administrative and clerical roles.
Only about 4% of the workforce is in high-automation roles, but one in five occupations show medium-to-high likelihood. The selection also considered demographics like older workers and people with disability, aiming for practical adaptation rather than alarm.
1. Administrative Officers and Office Clerks
These roles involve structured, repetitive tasks, making them prime targets for AI. Tools that extract data from forms or generate meeting notes can slash task times dramatically.
To adapt, agencies should retrain staff to oversee AI outputs—handling prompting, verifying results, and managing exceptions. Investing in AI governance and redesigning roles to focus on judgment and complex problem-solving will preserve and enhance human contributions.
2. Receptionists and Front-Desk Staff
AI receptionists can answer calls simultaneously, provide 24/7 booking, and reduce no-shows by around 22–25%. Automated systems capture nearly 97% of calls and save front-desk staff more than two hours daily.
Yet the human touch remains essential for empathy and local context. The best approach blends AI handling routine tasks while staff manage escalations and audit AI outputs. Upskilling in these areas is key.
3. Bookkeepers and Finance Clerks
Bookkeeping involves many repeatable, rules-based tasks, with AI expected to impact around 40% of their work. Automated transaction categorization, invoice processing, and anomaly detection are already improving speed and accuracy.
Adapting means treating AI as a partner, retraining staff to validate outputs and handle exceptions, and refocusing human effort on judgment, advice, and fraud detection. Developing soft skills like creativity and communication will remain crucial.
4. Communications and Public Relations Officers (Entry to Mid-Level)
Generative AI is streamlining media monitoring, drafting press releases, and scheduling social media posts, freeing teams to focus on strategy. 86% of communications professionals view AI positively, though training and governance lag behind.
Using AI to save drafting time should translate into more strategic conversations and relationship building. Clear guidelines and targeted upskilling will help protect accuracy and trust in public communications.
5. Records, Data-Entry Specialists, and Registry Staff
These roles handle predictable, high-volume tasks ideal for AI automation. Modern systems can extract data with near 99% accuracy, reducing manual review by 50–85% and speeding up record digitisation dramatically.
Maintaining data security and trust requires reskilling staff to manage exceptions, audit processes, and enforce governance. Proper use of AI can free human resources for more meaningful public engagement.
How Australian Agencies Can Adapt
- Embed AI governance into existing decision frameworks with clear accountability.
- Mandate human intervention for high-impact AI uses and publish transparency materials showing AI involvement.
- Prioritize data quality and require risk assessments for each AI application.
- Invest in targeted upskilling to supervise AI outputs and redesign roles towards higher-value work.
These steps align with the Commonwealth’s and Digital Transformation Agency's policies focused on accountability, contestability, privacy, and trust.
For those ready to build AI skills, courses like the AI Essentials for Work bootcamp offer practical training in prompt writing, AI tool use, and governance over 15 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which government jobs in Australia are most at risk from AI?Administrative officers/office clerks, receptionists/front-desk staff, bookkeepers/finance clerks, communications officers (entry to mid-level), and records/data-entry specialists face the highest exposure due to task-heavy, routine, and rules-based work.
How was this list determined?The list is based on Australian-specific research including occupation-level exposure scores and economy-wide modeling from the Jobs and Skills Australia Generative AI Capacity Study, focusing on task risk and workforce demographics.
What real-world impacts show AI is changing government work?Examples include halved Medicare processing times, 22–25% fewer no-shows with AI receptionists, 97% call capture rates, 50–85% less manual review in records projects, and near 99% accuracy in automated data extraction.
How can public servants adapt?By retraining to supervise AI outputs, redesigning roles to focus on judgement and relationships, implementing AI governance, mandating human oversight for key decisions, publishing transparency materials, and conducting tailored risk monitoring.
What safeguards and policies should be in place?Agencies need clear AI governance with accountable owners, human-in-the-loop checkpoints for high-risk systems, data quality standards, transparency with citizens, privacy protection, contestability, audit trails, and continuous monitoring.
