A new industry study by the Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association (AREEA) has found AI is predominantly changing jobs, rather than eliminating them.

Artificial Intelligence: A Resources and Energy Industry Workforce Report draws on structured interviews with 33 AI, data, digital and people and culture leaders across 23 mining, oil and gas and contracting organisations.

AREEA Deputy Chief Executive Tara Diamond said the findings challenged the widespread focus on AI-driven job losses, instead highlighting that trust, accountability and work intensification are among employers’ key workforce concerns.

“The public conversation about AI in the workforce is often dominated by a narrative around job displacement, but that is not what resources and energy employers are telling us,” Ms Diamond said.

“AI is changing what people do, how work is organised and where accountability sits.

“Employers are thinking about organisational trust, data privacy, surveillance, work intensification, accountability and psychosocial risk.

“These aren’t simply technology issues. They are workforce issues, and people and culture leaders will be right in the middle of them.”

Ms Diamond said the report found that AI adoption across the sector is underway, but uneven.

Most organisations remain in early experimentation, with pockets of advanced capability operating alongside pilot-stage applications within the same business.

Participant feedback reported that jobs are changing more than disappearing, as AI redistributes tasks within existing roles and contributes to hybrid positions combining technical, operational and people leadership responsibilities.

Ms Diamond said job losses are only one part of the risk equation, with participants identifying nine distinct workforce concerns, including organisational trust, data privacy, surveillance, work intensification and accountability for AI-assisted decisions.

‘The speed of AI development means employers need a more current picture of how the technology is affecting workforces,” she said.

“AI is moving too quickly for an annual review. By the time you publish it, you’re describing history.

“We’ll refresh this research regularly so employers can see what their industry peers are actually doing, where workforce risks are emerging and how quickly the picture is changing.”

The findings come as expectations around AI governance are increasing. The Federal Government’s July 2026 release of AI in Australia’s Interests established an Office of AI and signalled a shift from voluntary guidance towards coordinated national governance, with growing focus on transparency, human oversight and accountability.

Access the report

Artificial Intelligence: A Resources and Energy Industry Workforce Report is available here to AREEA members.

Click here for a PDF of the full release.  Media can request a copy of the report via [email protected]