While AI is well and truly here, it’s unlikely that it will take your job. At least not if you’ve got the right skills.
In 2025, artificial intelligence is woven into the working lives of Australians across industries. While the initial hype is settling, the reality is clear: AI is transforming how we work, not replacing who we are. It’s redefining what makes people indispensable.
According to the 2025 Randstad Employer Brand Research, AI adoption is steady, but daily usage is declining, especially among younger workers. This suggests a shift: from excitement to evaluation. Workers are now asking, “Where does AI actually add value to my work?” and “What skills will keep me ahead?”
Let’s unpack what this means for your career, and how to make yourself future-ready and irreplaceable in an AI-powered world.
AI adoption is growing but becoming more purposeful.
The Randstad Employer Brand Research tells a compelling story: we’re past the AI panic and into the AI reality check.
- Regular AI use is steady in Australia - but daily usage has dropped, particularly among Millennials (down from 13% to 7%) and Gen Z (13% to 9%)
- More workers are using AI occasionally, not habitually
- Millennials and Gen Z are still the most open to AI, but they’re growing more cautious, questioning its value in day-to-day work
- Workers across industries want more training to use AI effectively and to understand when not to use it.
This tells us something important: AI isn’t going away, but its success depends on people knowing how to use it well.
digital talent leads the pack, but others are catching on.
Not all workers are engaging with AI equally:
- Digital professionals (think IT, data, marketing) are most confident in using AI tools
- Operational and frontline workers are less exposed and more sceptical of the role of AI in the workplace - particularly in their jobs
- Across generations, confidence is mixed, but fear of job loss is low
- What people want is clarity, context, and capability, not just tech hype.
This highlights a key trend: upskilling, reskilling and digital fluency are no longer optional. They’re the currency of career growth.
the skills that will keep you relevant and in demand.
To thrive in the AI era, you need to invest in the skills AI can’t replicate:
1. Emotional Intelligence: AI can analyse sentiment, but it can’t feel it. Human connection, empathy, and trust are irreplaceable, especially in leadership, customer-facing, and team-based roles.
2. Critical Thinking: Machines can identify patterns. But it’s your ability to challenge assumptions, evaluate context, and make nuanced decisions that keeps you valuable.
3. Creativity & Innovation: From designing products to solving problems, your creativity, not AI, sparks progress. It's your unfair advantage.
4. Communication & Collaboration: AI can draft content, but it can’t align stakeholders, navigate team dynamics, resolve conflicts, or build culture. Your people skills are more essential than ever.
5. AI Literacy: You don’t need to code, but you should know how to use AI tools, write effective prompts, understand their limits, and evaluate their output.
how to future-proof your career in 2025.
Here’s how to stay sharp and stay in demand:
✅ Upskill with purpose: Focus on hybrid skills that combine human strengths with tech fluency. For example, learn to interpret data and communicate insights to stakeholders.
✅ Get comfortable with change: Randstad data shows that workers who embrace change and support others through it are more likely to be engaged, retained, and promoted.
✅ Stay curious: The AI landscape is evolving quickly. Stay open, explore tools, attend webinars, and learn from peers. In 2025, adaptability is currency.
✅ Learn to learn: Whether you're in logistics, HR, finance, or customer service, AI will touch your role. Develop the habit of learning, not just a new skill.
what employers need to do (and why it matters to you).
If you’re wondering why your employer hasn’t offered any AI training yet, you’re not alone. The research shows:
- Many Australian workers are neutral or unsure about AI’s impact
- There's a disconnect between AI’s potential and real-world use
- Workers, especially outside of digital job roles, don’t see clear value, because no one’s shown them.
What does that mean for you? It means you need to drive your development. But it also means you should be looking for employers who:
- Offer practical upskilling, not just lip service
- Support change with trust and training
- Foster a safe-to-learn culture, where experimenting with tools like AI is encouraged
be the human behind the machine.
AI isn’t replacing people. But it is reshaping work.
In 2025, the most successful workers aren’t the ones who resist change. They’re the ones who embrace it with clarity, confidence, and curiosity.
So whether you’re entering the workforce, looking for your next opportunity, or simply trying to stay relevant, the best investment you can make is in yourself. Your creativity, empathy, adaptability and communication are your career superpowers.
Because being irreplaceable in the AI era isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about being ready for anything.
Angela Anasis
executive director