There’s a lot of changes coming our way.
Worries about the impact of artificial intelligence on the workplace are being addressed in the Oireachtas Enterprise Committee this week.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has gone in front of the committee to call for AI to be regulated in the workplace.
While concerns about new technology in workplaces has been noted throughout the ages, the rapid rise of AI over the last few months has led to major apprehension in certain sectors about the impact the technology will have on future job safety.
According to RTÉ, the ICTU, who represent around 800,000 workers in the country, are demanding robust regulations to be put in place to protect workers from the rise of the technology.
ICTU demands a ‘Just Transition’ approach
Professor of Artificial Intelligence in Trinity, Gregory O’Hare warned that AI is progressing at a much faster rate than the laws which can control the technology, referring popular service ChatGPT, which has amassed a million users in just two months.
He continued by saying that there will be huge ramifications for industries such as journalism, media, law, academia, architecture and marketing.
ICTU social policy officer, Dr Laura Bambrick, added:
“In the same way that EU legislation sets minimum standards for occupational health and safety, new rules are needed to set European minimum standards for the design and use of AI in our workplaces and to guarantee that no worker is subject to the will of a machine.
“We will need a ‘Just Transition’ approach whereby policies are put in place to ensure that where parts of jobs or whole jobs or whole industries become redundant, workers’ living standards are protected through pay-related and pro-active income supports.”
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