ILO Working Paper Explores AI and International Labour Standards
As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms workplaces globally, questions surrounding its fair and responsible use gain urgency. A new ILO working paper delves into how international labour standards (ILS) provide a robust foundation for addressing these challenges.
AI Ethics and International Labour Standards:
The paper, "AI Ethics and the ILO’s international labour standards system: exploring synergies" by ILO researchers Jordi Agustí-Panareda and Daniel Samaan, analyzes the relationship between AI ethics principles and the ILO's ILS system.
While numerous AI ethics guidelines exist, many are broad and voluntary, offering limited practical direction. The study finds that the ILO's ILS framework serves as a crucial reference point for applying AI ethics in specific workplace scenarios.
Comparing AI Ethics and ILO Principles:
The researchers compared five key AI ethics principles—justice, beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and explicability—with the ILO's normative framework. They found:
- Converging Areas: Significant alignment exists, particularly in promoting fairness, human dignity, well-being, and harm prevention.
- Differing Focus: AI ethics frameworks emphasize individual autonomy, privacy, and transparency, while the ILO's framework also highlights collective rights, including freedom of association, collective bargaining, and social dialogue.
- Collective Dimensions: The ILO's framework emphasizes the importance of these collective aspects, often overlooked in mainstream AI ethics discussions.
AI's Impact on Labour Standards:
The paper also highlights how AI raises new questions that may necessitate a reevaluation of international labour standards:
- Data Collection and Use: AI's reliance on personal data raises concerns about privacy and the responsible handling of worker information.
- Algorithmic Management: The use of AI in decision-making processes, such as hiring and performance evaluation, demands transparency and accountability to ensure fairness.
- Surveillance and Transparency: AI-powered workplace surveillance and the opacity of AI-assisted employment decisions necessitate renewed focus on ensuring compliance with international labour standards.
The authors conclude that AI ethics and international labour standards can work synergistically, reinforcing one another to guide the responsible development and deployment of AI in the world of work.