65% of Australian Frontline Workers Are Using AI, but Almost Half Have Had No Employer Guidance

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SYDNEY, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Almost half (46%) of frontline workers surveyed by Humanforce have received no employer training, briefing or written rules on AI, even…

Humanforce research finds workers want AI to take on the paperwork that costs more than a quarter of them four hours every week

SYDNEY, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Almost half (46%) of frontline workers surveyed by Humanforce have received no employer training, briefing or written rules on AI, even though 65% have used AI or an AI-enabled tool at work in the past year.

Among respondents who had used tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Copilot for work, almost one in four (24%) said their employer did not allow it or they did not know whether it was allowed. In healthcare, that rose to more than one in three (36%), a sign that AI is reaching some of the highest-stakes moments in frontline work before guidance has caught up across the sector.

Just 13% of workers said they had received comprehensive training, according to the survey of 501 Australian workers across healthcare, hospitality and tourism, and retail and wholesale trade.

"Australia's AI debate still revolves around people working at desks. Yet frontline workers are already using AI on the job, and guidance hasn't kept pace," said Clayton Pyne, CEO of Humanforce. "Someone caring for patients, serving customers or moving between shifts should know what they can share with general-purpose AI tools, what they can rely on and when an answer needs checking. Organisations that provide this clarity early will reduce risk and get far more from AI, including less paperwork, easier shift management and more time with customers and patients."

Paperwork and administration ranked first in every sector as the area workers most want technology or AI to make easier (43% overall), followed by rostering and managing shifts (31%). Nearly half (49%) estimated they spend at least two hours in a typical week on tasks such as forms, timesheets, shift changes, finding information and sorting out pay or leave, and more than one in four (28%) spend four hours or more.

"Frontline workers feel that admin burden most directly, but for…

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