Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we work and, according to studies, will mean an annual increase in global GDP of 6.5 trillion euros in the next decade. However, along with unprecedented opportunities for innovation and growth, there is also a concern with worker rights and job security.
The question that arises is how to harness the benefits of AI, while protecting society – including workers – from its potentially harmful effects.
“AI implies changes, but not necessarily bad ones,” said Joost Korte, director general of the European Commission’s DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Korte spoke at the second edition of the European Forum on Employment and Social Rights, which was held on November 16 and 17 in Brussels and online, under the theme AI and the world of work.
The forum brought together a diverse panel of 74 speakers and explored the responsible use of AI to ensure that technological advances do not harm workers’ rights. “In the dynamic world of work, we must always value innovation and development, but we must also continue to protect workers with the appropriate regulatory framework. We must prevent abusive practices and ensure that humans remain in control,” he said. Joost Korte.
Despite numerous debates about the impact of AI on working life, it remains difficult to make accurate predictions. Professor Christopher Pissarides, Nobel Laureate in Economics, suggested analyzing the factors that facilitate the successful integration of AI into the world of work, arguing that countries that do well on issues such as social support for workers “can use AI in beneficial way to create good jobs and lead to better lives.” At the same time, he noted that “the US and China are far ahead in AI readiness, but they fail miserably in social support. So I wouldn’t rate them as good job creators.”
Most forum speakers agreed that this uncertainty highlights the clear need for proactive government regulation of AI to protect workers as the technology advances.
According to Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, the EU is already a pioneer in developing standards for the development and use of AI. In 2021, he introduced the Commission’s proposal for the AI ??Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI legislation.
“Setting clear standards does not stop innovation. On the contrary, it provides guidelines for investment. Our goal is to ensure that our values ??are preserved and included in this AI revolution,” said Breton.
A similar approach is needed when it comes to the use of AI at work, with many participants at the European Forum on Employment and Social Rights calling for a “human-centred” approach to both AI innovation and regulation. .
“There is a need to ensure that impactful decisions continue to be made by a human,” said Annette Bernhardt, director of the Technology and Work program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
It is also essential that workers have a say in how to manage changes in their roles. Esther Lynch, general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), says that worker participation in new processes is an important element of learning to work with AI. “Workers want to participate and debate the changes, and have access to training. It is necessary to enable frameworks where they are informed,” she commented.
The main message of the forum was clear: no matter how advanced technology is, the key remains in human workers, who must be the main beneficiaries of technological advances.
“With new technologies, like ChatGPT, work can be more efficient, faster, easier, simplified,” said Nicolas Schmit, EU Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights. “But we also have to ensure that workers benefit from each new advancement. The biggest challenge is establishing a system in which the gains made from AI are distributed equitably.”
Have you missed the European Forum on Employment and Social Rights 2023? Catch up on the discussions: watch the video summary and conference recordings.