Australian finance workers are adopting artificial intelligence at record speed, but a new survey suggests they feel less supported, more fearful and increasingly monitored as the technology reshapes their workplaces.
A report released by the Finance Sector Union (FSU) shows AI use has surged across the industry, with 36 per cent of workers saying they now use AI often—almost double the union’s findings in 2024. The proportion of employees who never use AI has plunged from 24 per cent to 13 per cent, yet confidence has not grown in step with exposure.
At the same time, fear about job security is climbing. Seventy per cent of workers surveyed believe AI threatens their employment, up from 60 per cent last year. At the Commonwealth Bank, that figure sits at 81 per cent, and nearly three-quarters of staff say their employer has not discussed how AI will affect their roles.
The report cites the case of former CBA employee Kathryn Sullivan, who unknowingly helped train a chatbot later used to cut her job—an example the union says underscores the need for transparency and for workers to have a voice in how AI is introduced.
Concerns about workplace surveillance are also accelerating. Half of all respondents said monitoring was now high or very high, and more than half felt such scrutiny harmed their well-being. Only 30 per cent felt prepared to work alongside AI.
Women and older workers continue to experience the most negative impacts, reporting lower confidence, less access to training and more unsettling experiences with AI-driven changes. According to the union, the readiness gap between employers and employees is widening rather than closing.
Workers quoted in the report emphasised that AI should never become a blunt cost-cutting tool, stressing that human judgment must remain central to decision-making.
One worker said,
“I feel like I am constantly being watched. Every click and pause is monitored, and it makes you feel anxious all day.”
Another warned,
“We get told a new AI tool is coming in on Monday and by Friday it’s already in use in our workflow with no consultation.”
Others described being left unprepared as tasks shift: “AI is meant to take away the boring parts of the job, but no one is training us for what comes next.”
Another worker said algorithms risk pressuring outcomes without understanding customer needs, adding, “You can’t replace human judgment.” One summed up the mood bluntly:
“I don’t feel prepared for any of this. It’s changing too fast and we’re expected to keep up with no support.”
FSU National Assistant Secretary Nicole McPherson said the findings show an industry where technological change is far outpacing worker protections. “AI use has doubled in a year, but worker protections have not kept pace and workers are paying the price,” she said.
“Workers are being pushed into using AI without consultation, training or transparency. Lawmakers and employers have completely failed to match the speed of this change.”
She said a “digital just transition” is essential to ensuring that workers are consulted, trained and protected, and that their data is secure.
“Their data must be safe and surveillance limited. And if AI changes or replaces roles, workers must have real pathways to redeployment.
The four pillars of a just transition are the foundations of a fair digital future.”
The union’s transition roadmap outlines four priorities—meaningful consultation, proper education and training, strong data and surveillance protections, and fair redundancy and redeployment processes—aimed at ensuring the rapid adoption of AI does not come at workers’ expense.
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