What Happened
A global expert on education and the future of work will deliver a pointed assessment to Australian policymakers this week, arguing that the country's approach to workforce development has not kept pace with the disruptions brought by artificial intelligence.
Michael Fung, who heads the Institute for the Future of Education at Mexico's Tecnologico de Monterrey, one of Mexico's largest research centres, is scheduled to address the National AI Summit in Canberra on Wednesday. He will argue that Australia's traditional reliance on human capital development frameworks is ill-suited to the current moment.
"Our economies and societies have been facing many disruptions with increasing scale and pace," Fung will say. "As a result, our operating environment has become far more complex, and our traditional human capital development policies and approaches are no longer fit for purpose."
The two-day summit is hosted by the Future Skills Organisation and brings together employers, educators, unions and government sectors to identify how AI is changing day-to-day tasks and skills in the workforce.
Why It Matters
The World Economic Forum has predicted that roughly 39 per cent of skills in the job market are set to change by 2030. That figure frames the scale of adjustment facing workers, training providers and policymakers across Australia.
Fung's address is directed at how Australia can sustain a future workforce alongside AI, according to reporting by AAP. His remarks are aimed at the policy settings that govern how workers are trained and retrained, not only at individual workers themselves.
Key Details
Fung will tell the summit that the disruption is not primarily about jobs disappearing outright. "For most workers, the more immediate impact will be on the tasks they perform and the skills they use and develop in their roles," he will say.
He will also describe the situation as carrying potential benefits. "This presents a significant opportunity to enhance productivity, strengthen capability and create new ways of working," Fung will say.
The Future Skills Organisation convened the summit to bring together a cross-section of Australian industry, education and government voices. The organisation's focus is on identifying skill gaps and workforce transitions driven by technology change.
Background and Context
Fung leads the Institute for the Future of Education at Tecnologico de Monterrey, described as one of Mexico's largest research centres. His work centres on how education systems and workforce policies adapt to technological and economic change.
The National AI Summit in Canberra is one of several forums in 2026 where Australian government and industry representatives are examining the practical workforce implications of AI adoption. The Future Skills Organisation, which hosts the summit, works with employers, unions and training providers to map emerging skill requirements.
What Comes Next
Fung is scheduled to speak on Wednesday at the Canberra summit. His address is expected to outline how Australia can adapt its workforce development policies to account for the pace of AI-driven change, drawing on his research at Tecnologico de Monterrey.
The Future Skills Organisation has not yet published a post-summit communiqué. Outcomes from the two-day gathering are expected to inform ongoing discussions between employers, educators and government about training frameworks and skills policy.
