Almost half (46%) of frontline workers, including retailers, 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, according to a recent survey.
Humanforce, an operating platform for modern frontline workforce operations, commissioned a survey of 501 Australian workers across healthcare, hospitality and tourism, and retail and wholesale trade.
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. Just 13% of workers said they had received comprehensive training.
Retail and wholesale workers were the most likely to have had some guidance on AI, though more than a third (37%) have still received none. Three in ten (30%) use AI most days, and losing human contact was their top concern (53%).
“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.”
Demand for AI in frontline work
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 also want technology that supports them directly, with faster answers to questions about pay and better support to learn and develop. Training and support (27%), managing workload, fatigue or wellbeing (23%) and understanding their pay, entitlements or award (19%) were among the other areas they most want made easier.
They were just as clear about what they want to protect. Losing the human contact aspect of their job was the top concern about AI in frontline workplaces, selected by 47% of respondents.
“Much of frontline work is human by nature: empathy, in-person care and service, from a carer helping a resident start their day to a host welcoming a guest. That helps explain why paperwork topped their list,” explained Mr Pyne.
“Workers want technology to take on the admin so they have more time for the people in front of them.”
Need for clear AI usage guidelines
Mr Pyne says the frontline organisations that get the most from AI will use it to give their people more time for the human side of the job.
“Workers should never be left arguing with an AI system about a decision that affects their hours, pay or working life,” he said.
“Organisations need to be clear about where AI is used, keep people involved in important decisions and give workers a way to speak up when something looks wrong.”
