Job ads looking for AI knowledge have quadrupled in the past decade

Figures show that the use of the technology has spread into various industries throughout New Zealand, including communication, marketing, advertising and media, as well as strategy and consultation professions.

SEEK senior economist Blair Chapman told rova that the increase has been notable over the past few years.

“It's now only 2.6% of all job ads, so it's still a small share of total job ads, but it has really accelerated from 0.5% of all job ads a couple of years ago,” he explained.

Dr Chapman clarified this doesn’t mean these positions are being replaced entirely by AI, instead mostly helping efficiency or productivity in certain menial tasks.

“AI can produce a lot and if it's not checked over by a human or inspected for that quality, you can slip.”

“If you think about construction, you’ve still got to do invoicing and taxes. I'd imagine for most construction workers that's the least interesting part of their work, and hopefully AI can take that off them.”

He added that IT-related positions have flourished with the biggest increase in demand for AI in that sector.

Dr Chapman warns it’ll be a while before the government or high-level decision-makers begin regulating or addressing its implications in the workforce.

“Use of AI is going to increase, and it's a skill that we probably want the future workforce to be able to use and handle.”

He believes the growing use of AI encourages people in power to acknowledge the impacts it’s had on everyday life. 

Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, Shane Reti, recently attended the global AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, India.

After the summit, the Minister told rova that employment and efficiency were two of the top priorities for discussions.

“AI is often looked at as augmenting existing roles, plus creating new roles. So it's certainly something that I take very seriously and take on board, and that's been my observations in the international environment as well.”

Dr Reti acknowledged that roles within workplaces have the likelihood of being affected, but assured dialogue is being had to ensure the benefits outweigh the downsides.