AI has moved well beyond being just a buzzword in Australian workplaces – it is now a real and measurable force reshaping how we work. From streamlining daily tasks to transforming whole industries, the momentum behind AI adoption is undeniable.
Yet alongside the promise of efficiency and innovation come more complex questions. Are these advances being made in a way that is inclusive and fair? Can workplace policies and governance keep pace with the speed of change? And, perhaps most importantly, will the human-centric values and safe spaces we have worked so hard to embed in our workplace cultures remain strong as technology takes a bigger role?
The Inclusion Challenge in a Changing Landscape
While AI is creating opportunities and augmenting roles in industries ranging from agriculture, to hospitality, and recreation[1], it is also automating tasks in areas like sales, marketing, programming, and administrative work. These types of roles are disproportionately filled by women, older workers, people with disabilities, and First Nations Australians – groups that already face structural barriers in the workplace[2]. Unless adoption is paired with intentional inclusion strategies, AI could end up reinforcing the very barriers we’ve been working to break down.
Recruitment is another area that needs scrutiny. A recent Guardian investigation[3] highlighted concerns that AI-driven interview tools may disadvantage candidates based on factors such as accent, cultural background, or neurodiversity – filtering out talent in ways that human recruiters may not. These risks arise because many algorithms rely on patterns of speech, body language, or phrasing that may unfairly penalise candidates from diverse backgrounds. In effect, the technology may end up reinforcing stereotypes or mistaking difference for deficiency.
There’s also the phenomenon of “shadow AI use” where employees experiment with AI tools without their organisation’s knowledge or governance structures in place[4]. This might be as simple as staff pasting client information into a public chatbot to draft an email, using AI to generate performance feedback without review, or relying on automated translation tools that miss cultural nuance. While often well-intentioned, these practices can introduce bias risks and ethical blind spots.
[1] PwC AI Jobs Barometer 2025
AI can mimic decision-making patterns and analyse information at incredible speed, but it can’t replace ethical judgement, cultural awareness, or the empathy needed to lead diverse teams. Research[1] shows that demand for human-centric competencies SUCH AS teamwork, resilience, critical thinking, and especially ethics, has grown faster than the demand for routine, easily automated skills.
This means the future of work is not “AI versus humans,” but “AI with humans”, with the real differentiator being whether organisations can integrate technology without sacrificing fairness, trust, and inclusion.
[1] Guardian’s reporting on AI’s workforce impact
The Role of Safe Channels Like Ombpoint
While AI can draft language or suggest ways to phrase a difficult message, it cannot replace the process of building the courage and confidence to actually have the conversation. For that, people still need a human sounding board – someone who can help them weigh up the context, read the room, and support them in navigating sensitive dynamics.
Ombpoint Advisers bring this human lens. They offer confidential, impartial guidance that takes into account nuance, and the emotional reality of workplace challenges, in a way that chatbots can’t.
AI is not going away, and its role in the way we work will only deepen in the years ahead. The real challenge for us is not just how quickly these tools are adopted, but how responsibly – and whether people continue to trust that the values of fairness, respect, and inclusion will be upheld.
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