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What If We Got It Completely Wrong on AI and Jobs?

Crikey

ENRICHED

Details

Date Published
21 July 2026
Priority Score
2
Australian
Yes
Created
21 July 2026, 08:01 am

Authors (1)

Description

What if expectations AI will destroy jobs and be dominated by one expensive model are wrong? China might upend expectations, but our Sinophobic policy setting leaves us stuck.

Summary

This analysis challenges prevailing Western assumptions regarding AI-induced job displacement and the inevitability of a single, resource-intensive model dominating the landscape. It highlights how China's distinct approach to AI development could disrupt global economic expectations, potentially providing a counter-narrative to catastrophic socio-economic risk models. The piece critques Australian policy settings, arguing that geopolitical biases may hinder the adoption of more nuanced governance frameworks necessary for managing the shift in frontier AI capabilities.

Body

Whatever criticisms might be levelled at major party politicians at the moment, it’s a tough time to be in the business of public policy. We’ve thrown off the guardrails of neoliberalism but without a clear mental model for the role of government, other than more interventionism. The rush to onshoring supply chains deemed — often purely for political convenience — as “critical” hasn’t stopped external shocks from roiling economies or malignant foreign actors from attempting to interfere in domestic policies.