Assess the impact of automation on the individual, society and the environment, including:
safety of workers
people with disability
the nature and skills required for employment
production efficiency, waste and the environment
the economy and distribution of wealth
Automation is no longer a future trend – it is the machinery, software and AI quietly reshaping how we work, what we buy and even how much energy we use.
Consider these four snapshots drawn from current Australian and international reports:
In 2022, 195 Australians were fatally injured at work. Heavy-vehicle collisions and machinery incidents still dominate the list, showing how much room there is for safer, automated equipment to take the dirtiest and deadliest tasks off human hands. data.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
Globally, employers expect almost one job in four to change by 2027 as automation, AI and the green-energy transition spread through every industry. Some roles will disappear, but new, more technical roles are forecast to out-strip them if workers can reskill in time. Investopedia
Manufacturers that couple sensors with “digital-twin” optimisation have already cut scrap waste by roughly 20 % in consumer-electronics plants – less raw material mined, less landfill created and lower carbon per unit produced. McKinsey & Company
On the flip side, the electricity appetite of automation and AI is soaring. The International Energy Agency projects that power drawn by data-centre AI workloads will more than quadruple by 2030, rivalling today’s entire Japanese grid. IEA
Read each example again and ask yourself three questions:
Who benefits most if this statistic grows?
Who carries the risk or cost?
Each pair should choose one of the five impacts of automation below.
Worker safety
People with disability
Employment skills
Environment & waste
Economy & wealth distribution
Find at least one recent statistic or piece of evidence from a reputable source (e.g., government statistics like ABS, research bodies like CSIRO, official reports).
Decide: Does your evidence point to a Risk (a potential negative outcome) or an Opportunity (a potential benefit)?
Explain the 'Flip-side': Acknowledge the complexity. If it’s an opportunity, what's a related challenge? If it's a risk, is there a potential upside or mitigating factor? (E.g., Opportunity: Safer jobs; Flip-side Risk: Workers needing new skills).
Record your source: Title and URL/Organisation.
Guiding questions for your analysis: What does the evidence show? Why is it a risk/opportunity? Who is most affected? What's the counter-argument or nuance (flip-side)?
Prepare a short presentation (e.g., 2-3 slides) to explain automation's impact in your chosen area.
Clearly state the risks and opportunities, backed by your evidence.
Use minimal text. Incorporate visuals where possible (simple charts, relevant icons, diagrams).
Each pair teachers the class about their chosen area of impact.
Use your slides to support your presentation.
Around 1-2 minutes including some Q&A.