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Worker or engineer work with ai with graphic display in factory Picture: istock<\/p>\n
Swathes of Australia are at risk of turning into an AI \u201crust belt\u201d because of a high grouping of people working white-collar jobs that could be fazed out by automation, forcing many to leave and dragging down property prices.<\/p>\n
A stark new analysis has identified multiple areas across major capital cities with heavy concentrations of workers in roles expected to be rapidly overtaken by AI within just a few years. <\/p>\n
The SuburbTrends report warns that these suburbs face a heightened risk of job losses as automation sweeps through finance, insurance, telecommunications and professional services \u2013 sectors that dominate local employment in these areas.<\/p>\n
Research group SuburbTrends forecasts that Sydney and Melbourne will bear the brunt of AI-driven disruption and local property markets could be disrupted. <\/p>\n
MORE: Packer\u2019s secret $200m compound exposed<\/a><\/p>\n Hot air balloon flight, Global ballooning, aerial photography Melbourne \u2013 stock images \u2013 CBD Picture: Sarah Matray<\/p>\n The cities\u2019 dependence on high-income office jobs, and the steep mortgages tied to them, leaves households particularly exposed, but there were also pockets of Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth where AI workforce changes could ripple through the local market.<\/p>\n The study suggests many residents in these areas could be forced to offload their homes and relocate as more white-collar roles are replaced by AI systems, triggering population churn and potential drops in housing values.<\/p>\n SuburbTrends data scientist Kent Lardner said AI was evolving rapidly and \u201crust belt\u201d suburbs could emerge if workers had few pathways to transition into new industries.<\/p>\n \u201cYou would have suburbs that emulate the rust belt towns of the US, where they exported manufacturing jobs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Local residential suburbs in Inner city of Sydney on shores of Sydney harbour viewed from above mid-air on a sunny day facing CBD landmarks.<\/p>\n \u201cThis time it will be exporting white collar jobs. The real risk is we end up with our own rust belt, where a mass of people are leaving, or selling their homes at once because they\u2019ve lost jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n The SuburbTrends research showed the impacts would differ across capital cities:<\/p>\n MELBOURNE:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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