EC Library Guide on artificial intelligence and the future of work: Selected publications
Selected publications from international organisations
- Artificial intelligence, migration and mobility: implications for policy and practice
Beduschi, A. and McAuliffe, M., World Migration Report, (1), 2022.
This chapter framed the analysis of the uses of AI within each stage of the migration cycle, demonstrating that such technologies have already influenced pre-departure, entry, stay and return policies and practices. Additionally, it acknowledged how the expansion of AI in labour markets is expected to impact long-term migration patterns, as technologies and automation increasingly affect the future of work around the world.AI certainly brings about a series of advantages for policy and practice. For example, AI systems can increase the efficiency of migration management by streamlining repetitive tasks that depend on the review of large amounts of data. Depending on how they are designed, developed and deployed, AI systems can fast-track identity verification at border crossing points. They can also contribute to better identification of individuals posing potential threats to security
Three main implications for policy and practice can be drawn from this chapter: (i) AI systems can amplify existing human biases, not just encode them; (ii) the increasing datafication of migration and mobility can create and magnify vulnerabilities; (iii) one of the key aspects currently underpinning analysis in this salient and strategic area of migration policy and practice is the extent to which a lack of transparency dominates. Accordingly, a human rights-based approach is needed to address these issues and rebalance the power structures at play. For instance, human rights impact assessment tools could be used before the deployment of AI systems. This would increase algorithmic fairness and accountability and prevent situations in which AI technologies are tested on vulnerable populations, such as migrants and refugees, without prior assessment of the risks.
- Defining and classifying AI in the workplace
Lane, M. and Williams, M., OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, (290), 2023.
This document serves both as a conceptual and practical guide for defining and classifying AI, in order to help stakeholders analyse and understand its impact on the workplace. It first discusses how AI can be defined and provides a selection of AI use cases to help stakeholders identify AI and distinguish it from other advanced technologies. The document then provides a framework for classifying AI according to its impact on the workplace, consisting of a set of questions intended to help stakeholders evaluate any AI application from a workplace perspective (either a priori or ex post) and to promote informed discussion so that AI is implemented in a way that empowers and complements workers and improves job quality, and that no one is left behind.
- The effects of AI on the working lives of women
UNESCO, OECD and Inter-American Development Bank, UNESCO, 2022.
Taking a closer look at the intersection of gender and technology, this collaboration between UNESCO, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) examines the effects of AI on the working lives of women. This report describes the challenges and opportunities presented by the use of emerging technology such as AI from a gender perspective. The report highlights the need for more focus and research on the impacts of AI on women and the digital gender gap, in order to ensure that women are not left behind in the future of work.
- Future of jobs report: 2023
World Economic Forum, 2023.
In 2023, labour-market transformations driven by technological breakthroughs, such as the coming of age of generative artificial intelligence (AI), are being compounded by economic and geopolitical disruptions and growing social and environmental pressures. This fourth edition of the Future of Jobs Report therefore broadens its scope beyond technological change to also consider and address the labour-market impact of a multitude of concurrent trends, including the green and energy transitions, macroeconomic factors, and geo economic and supply-chain shifts.
- Gen-AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work
Cazzaniga, M., Florence Jaumotte, F., Li, L., et al., International Monetary Fund, 2024.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to reshape the global economy, especially in the realm of labor markets. Advanced economies will experience the benefits and pitfalls of AI sooner than emerging market and developing economies, largely due to their employment structure focused on cognitive-intensive roles. There are some consistent patterns concerning AI exposure, with women and college-educated individuals more exposed but also better poised to reap AI benefits, and older workers potentially less able to adapt to the new technology. Labor income inequality may increase if the complementarity between AI and high-income workers is strong, while capital returns will increase wealth inequality. However, if productivity gains are sufficiently large, income levels could surge for most workers. In this evolving landscape, advanced economies and more developed emerging markets need to focus on upgrading regulatory frameworks and supporting labor reallocation, while safeguarding those adversely affected. Emerging market and developing economies should prioritize developing digital infrastructure and digital skills.
- Generative AI and jobs: A global analysis of potential effects on job quantity and quality
Gmyrek, P., Berg, J. and Bescond, D., IOL working paper, 96, 2023.
This study assesses the potential global exposure of occupations to Generative AI, particularly GPT-4. It predicts that the overwhelming effect of the technology will be to augment occupations, rather than to automate them. The greatest impact is likely to be in high and upper-middle income countries due to a higher share of employment in clerical occupations. As clerical jobs are an important source of female employment, the effects are highly gendered. Insights from this study underline the need for proactive policies that focus on job quality, ensure fair transitions, and that are based on dialogue and adequate regulation.
- The impact of AI on the workplace: Evidence from OECD case studies of AI implementation
Milanez, A., Employment and Migration Working Papers, (289), 2023.
How artificial intelligence (AI) will impact workplaces is a central question for the future of work, with potentially significant implications for jobs, productivity, and worker well-being. Yet, knowledge gaps remain in terms of how firms, workers, and worker representatives are adapting. This study addresses these gaps through a qualitative approach. It is based on nearly 100 case studies of the impacts of AI technologies on workplaces in the manufacturing and finance sectors of eight OECD countries.
The study shows that, to date, job reorganisation appears more prevalent than job displacement, with automation prompting the reorientation of jobs towards tasks in which humans have a comparative advantage. Job quality improvements associated with AI – reductions in tedium, greater worker engagement, and improved physical safety – may be its strongest endorsement from a worker perspective. The study also highlights challenges – skill requirements and reports of increased work intensity – underscoring the need for policies to ensure that AI technologies benefit everyone.
- The impact of AI on the workplace: Main findings from the OECD AI surveys of employers and workers
Lane, M., Williams, M. and Broecke, S., OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, (288), 2023.
New OECD surveys of employers and workers in the manufacturing and finance sectors of seven countries shed new light on the impact that Artificial Intelligence has on the workplace —an under-researched area to date due to lack of data. The findings suggest that both workers and their employers are generally very positive about the impact of AI on performance and working conditions. However, there are also concerns, including about job loss—an issue that should be closely monitored.
The surveys also indicate that, while many workers trust their employers when it comes to the implementation of AI in the workplace, more can be done to improve trust. In particular, the surveys show that both training and worker consultation are associated with better outcomes for workers.
- Les effets de l’IA sur la vie professionnelle des femmes
UNESCO, OECD and Inter-American Development Bank, UNESCO, 2022.
En examinant de plus près l’intersection entre le genre et la technologie, cette collaboration entre l’UNESCO, la Banque interaméricaine de développement (BID) et l’Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques (OCDE) examine les effets de l'IA sur la vie professionnelle des femmes. Ce rapport rend compte de défis et des opportunités présentés par l’utilisation de technologies émergentes telles que l’IA dans une perspective de genre. Le rapport souligne la nécessité de se concentrer davantage et de mener des recherches sur les impacts de l’IA sur les femmes et sur le fossé numérique entre les sexes, afin de s'assurer que les femmes ne sont pas laissées pour compte dans l’avenir du travail.
- OECD employment outlook 2023: Artificial intelligence and the labour market
OECD, OECD Publishing, 2023.
The 2023 edition of the OECD Employment Outlook examines, in particular, on the evolution of labour demand and widespread shortages, as well as on wage developments in times of high inflation and related policies. It also takes stock of the current evidence on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the labour market. Progress in AI has been such that, in many areas, its outputs have become almost indistinguishable from that of humans, and the landscape continues to change quickly, as recent developments in large language models have shown. This, combined with the falling costs of developing and adopting AI systems, suggests that OECD countries may be on the verge of a technological revolution that could fundamentally change the workplace. This edition investigates how to get the balance right in addressing the possible negative effects of AI on labour market outcomes while not stifling its benefits.
- Perspectives de l’emploi de l’OCDE 2023: Intelligence artificielle et marché du travail
OECD, OECD Publishing, 2023.
L’édition 2023 des Perspectives de l’emploi de l’OCDE examine en particulier à l’évolution de la demande de main-d’œuvre et aux pénuries importantes enregistrées dans ce domaine, ainsi qu’à l’évolution des salaires en période de forte inflation et aux politiques mises en œuvre à cet égard. Elle dresse aussi l'inventaire de l’évidence empirique sur les répercussions de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) sur le marché du travail. Les progrès de l’intelligence artificielle sont tels que, dans de nombreux domaines, il est quasiment impossible de distinguer ses résultats de ceux de l’homme, et les transformations se poursuivent à un rythme rapide, comme en témoignent les récentes évolutions des grands modèles de langage (LLM). À cela s’ajoute la baisse des coûts de conception et d’adoption des systèmes d’IA, autant d’éléments qui laissent à penser que les économies de l’OCDE pourraient être à l’aube d’une révolution technologique susceptible de transformer radicalement le monde du travail. La présente édition des Perspectives de l’emploi analyse comment trouver le juste équilibre pour remédier aux conséquences négatives éventuelles de l’IA sur l’emploi sans pour autant brider ses avantages.
- Policy approaches to direct digital frontier technologies towards inclusive and sustainable development
UN, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, 2022.
This report reviews the status of digital frontier technologies in the Asia-Pacific region. It stresses that the policy framework for the next generation of technology and innovation should focus on creating an enabling environment for digital frontier technologies to positively impact economy, society, and environment; and to reduce inequalities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, digital frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics, amongst others, have been mobilized to fight against the pandemic. But it is also important that digital technologies serve the needs of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Shaping the transition: Artificial intelligence and social dialogue
Krämer, C. and Cazes, S., OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, (279), OECD Publishing, 2023.
Rapid advances in the development and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies provide new opportunities but also raise fears about disruptive labour market and workplace transitions. This working paper examines how social dialogue can shape the AI transition in beneficial ways for both workers and firms. It highlights that social dialogue can generally help foster inclusive labour markets and ease technological transitions, and presents new descriptive evidence together with ongoing initiatives from social partners showing that social dialogue has an important role to play in the AI transition as well.
The paper also discusses how AI adoption may affect social dialogue itself, e.g. by adding new pressures on weakening labour relations systems and posing practical challenges to social partners, such as insufficient AI-related expertise and resources to respond to the AI transition. Based on these insights, the paper suggests a few measures for policy makers who would like to support social partners’ efforts in shaping the AI transition.
- Using Artificial Intelligence in the workplace: What are the main ethical risks?
Salvi del Peroi, A., Wyckoffi, P. and Vourc'h, A., OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, (273), OECD Publishing, 2022.
This paper reviews possible risks in terms of human rights (privacy, fairness, agency and dignity); transparency and explainability; robustness, safety and security; and accountability. The paper also reviews ongoing policy action to promote trustworthy use of AI in the workplace. Existing legislation to ensure ethical workplaces must be enforced effectively, and serve as the foundation for new policy. Economy- and society-wide initiatives on AI, such as the EU AI Act and standard-setting, can also play a role. New workplace-specific measures and collective agreements can help fill remaining gaps.
- Last Updated: Sep 26, 2024 9:20 AM
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