AI creates bricks and mortar workers

AI isn’t just threatening IT jobs, it could be the unexpected solution to Australia’s growing construction labour shortage.

The veteran construction worker, someone over 50, with decades of blood, sweat and tears staining their tool belt is going to rest their worn out bodies and is heading into retirement.

Their physical best-by-date is up.

But this is a serious problem.

As one construction industry report shows  Australia’s young construction workforce, those aged 30 and under,  grew by less than 1% between 1997 and 2017.

Compare that to the older workforce (aged 50 and above) during the same period with 6% growth in the same period. Over 25% of Australia’s construction workforce is over the age of 55.

And it’s here that AI is the possible saviour.

The construction industry is looking to employ information & knowledge workers, the people who are threatened with AI. Their soft hands and still supple bodies have plenty of work in them.

By some accounts, many are taking up the challenge. Last month  IT specialist, Kieran Van Blyenburgh, a youngster at 45, said he’d moved into construction due to concerns that AI could end his professional IT career. I’ve met a few IT people who like me have experience, but are making the transition and AI is the catalyst.

At the other end of age spectrum AI is affecting IT students with falls in university enrolments.

The numbers are not large but perception can drive behaviour which has longer lasting impacts.

Right now, it could work out well. That is, unless those Chinese robots train to hammer and saw, rather than do their athletic Tai Chi.