AI is about to change almost every job in this country. The question is: who’s in the room deciding how?
This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stood at the University of Sydney and unveiled the Office of AI – a “world-first” national AI framework, touching everything from energy and copyright to productivity, education and labour rights. It’s a genuinely big moment, the kind of announcement that will shape how Australians work for decades to come.
But according to Holly Hunt, Founder and CEO of Women in Digital, there was one word missing from the entire speech. Women.
And once you see the numbers, it’s impossible to unsee.
The Gap Hiding in Plain Sight
Here’s the reality: women are standing right in the eye of the AI storm, whether they know it or not.
Data from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations shows women make up 53.6 per cent of the workforce in the most AI-exposed roles, things like clerical, admin, marketing and accounts work, compared to just 43.7% of men. Flip that around and look at the roles least exposed to AI disruption, trades, aged care, transport, and men hold 70 per cent of those jobs to women’s 30per cent
In other words, the industries AI is about to reshape fastest are the ones women disproportionately work in.
And yet, research cited in Australia’s AI Opportunity report found women are 10-40 per cent less likely than men to actually be using generative AI tools. That’s not a small gap. That’s the difference between confidently riding the wave of change and being swept up by it.
“This is a big moment for women to be part of the conversation and AI strategy,” says Holly. “AI is going to change almost every job in this country. And, women are standing right in the middle of that change. We can either design this transition with women at the table. Or, we can watch the gender gap in tech, in pay and in leadership get wider.”
It’s a sharp reminder that access to AI isn’t just a “nice to have” skill anymore, it’s fast becoming the new digital literacy. And, the women who build confidence with these tools now are the ones who’ll be writing their own next chapter, not having it written for them.
Turning the Moment Into Momentum
Here’s the exciting part. This isn’t a story about being left behind, it’s a story about what’s possible if we get in early.
As Holly puts it, “The Prime Minister has built the room. Now we need to make sure women are in it.” That’s the opportunity in front of us: a brand-new national body, still finding its shape, still setting its priorities. Which means there’s genuine room to influence how it’s built, not just react to it once the decisions are made.
Women in Digital, the national organisation representing more than 22,000 employees and over $100 billion in market value across the digital economy, is calling on government to back the Office of AI with five clear commitments:
1. A seat at the table. Women and the organisations representing them need to shape the Office of AI’s priorities and standards from day one, rather than being consulted after decisions have already been made.
2. A funded transition plan. Real investment to help women in AI-exposed roles build the skills and confidence to move into AI-enabled careers, not just adjacent ones watching from the sidelines.
3. Data that tracks the gap. Public, gender-disaggregated reporting on AI adoption and job impact, so progress is measurable rather than assumed.
4. Industry accountability. Incentives for employers to close the AI adoption gap, giving women access to the training, tools and time to build capability at work.
5. Visibility in the national conversation. Women leaders, technologists and researchers front and centre in public discussions about AI, standing alongside government and industry.
Why This Matters for Every Woman in Tech (and Beyond)
You don’t need to work in policy to feel the pull of this moment. Whether you’re leading a team, building a career in a traditionally AI-exposed industry, or simply figuring out how to bring these tools into your own workday, the message is the same: get curious, get skilled, get in the room.
As Holly says, “If Australia gets this right, AI could become the biggest catalyst for women in tech in a generation. If we get it wrong, the gender gap widens in real time.”
That’s the frame worth holding onto. This isn’t just about protecting women from disruption, it’s about positioning women to lead it. The tools are here. The national conversation is happening right now. And the organisations advocating loudest, like Women in Digital, are proof that women aren’t waiting for permission to shape what comes next.
The Office of AI has the chance to make Australia’s AI transition the most inclusive in the world. But that only happens if women help build it, not watch it happen from the sidelines.
The room is open. Let’s walk in.
