Over the past year, we’ve discovered what truly sets exceptional AI hires apart. From uncovering hidden talent across Australia’s AI ecosystem to evaluating candidates beyond technical skills, considering alignment with organisational values and responsible AI principles, these insights are redefining how AI teams are assembled for 2025 and beyond.

Looking forward to kick-starting the AI Café Podcast, where AI meets real conversation. We dive into AI Engineering & Architecture, explore Responsible AI & Compliance, and unpack AI Strategic Leadership with the experts shaping the future.

Across Australia, AI has moved from experimentation to practical application. Organisations are embedding AI into products, services, and operations, and at the centre of this shift is the AI Engineer.

Artificial Intelligence is no longer on the horizon it’s here, transforming how we live and work. In Australia, AI Engineering is emerging as one of the most in-demand and influential technical disciplines, playing a critical role in shaping the next wave of innovation.

Through a quite extensive recent survey of our Data Engineering community in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, we took a deep dive into what top talent truly wants in 2025.

AI is no longer a side project; it’s moving to the core of products, platforms, and competitive advantage. Whether it’s deploying LLMs, designing ML infrastructure, or integrating AI into critical workflows, one thing is clear:

As a technology recruiter working closely with organisations across Australia, we've watched the evolution of the “AI Lead” role up close.

In GenAI roles, the goal is to guide models to generate high-quality, human-like outputs. Skills in prompt engineering are key, enabling professionals to interact with models effectively to get the desired results.

Over the past 3–4 months, we’ve seen an interesting uptick in demand for Machine Learning Engineers. It’s happening across fintech, healthtech, enterprise, and even government sectors.