The nature of work and jobs is being reshaped by artificial intelligence. Is it the building block to a worker utopia, or a more bleak, disruptive reality? In this episode of Tech Mirror, host Johanna Weaver sits down with Joseph Mitchell from the Australian Council of Trade Unions to unpack the opportunities, risks, and power dynamics brought on by the rollout of AI in workplaces around Australia. He argues that AI is being used increasingly to meet new efficiency benchmarks and worker surveillance. Johanna and Joseph ask, can the voice of unions, policy makers, and individuals shape what happens next, and will the future of work remain deeply human — even in an AI-driven world?

Links:

Australian Council of Trade Unions: www.actu.org.au

Encyclical Letter, Magnifica Humanitas, of His Holiness Pope Leo XiV, on safeguarding  the human person on the time of artificial intelligence: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html   

Fair Work Commission: https://www.fwc.gov.au?utm_source

National Employment Standards (Fair Work Ombudsman): https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/national-employment-standards

Daron Acemoglu  

• MIT Economics: https://economics.mit.edu/people/faculty/daron-acemoglu
• Building pro-worker artificial intelligence https://economics.mit.edu/sites/default/files/2026-03/Building%20Pro-Worker%20Artificial%20Intelligence.pdf 

For transcript and full show notes visit techpolicy.au/podcast