Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing more than just workplace productivity.
It’s creating opportunities, not cutting jobs, as it spreads across industries.
AI, when implemented fairly, can elevate human endeavors beyond mundane tasks, transforming work and providing new avenues for growth.
A recent report from the United Nations and the International Labor Organization highlights the workplace as the epicenter of AI’s impact.
The report warns that AI’s influence could either level the playing field for workers worldwide or widen the income gap.
While AI will potentially affect many aspects of our daily lives, its impact is likely to be most acute in the workplace, the report states, emphasizing the crucial role of equitable implementation.
But AI’s potential isn’t without risks.
The rise of “algorithmic management”—where algorithms dictate tasks, optimize workflows, and evaluate performance—threatens to erode workers’ autonomy, particularly in sectors like warehousing and logistics.
Workers often find themselves with little say in how their tasks are organized or paced, and even less opportunity to provide feedback.
The crux of the issue, according to the report, lies in giving workers a voice in the AI adoption process.
Economic growth depends on organizations involving employees in decisions about AI.
Whether the effect of technology on working conditions is positive or negative depends in large part on the voice that workers have in the design, implementation, and use of technology, the report notes.
Opportunities are emerging across AI’s value chain, from data collection to model deployment.
However, these opportunities are not equally distributed.
Lower-wage jobs in data collection and content moderation are concentrated in developing regions, while high-skill roles in model design and deployment remain in wealthier nations.
This imbalance is deepening economic disparities, with less-developed countries at risk of falling further behind in the AI-driven economy.
The report calls for a concerted effort to address these inequalities by investing in digital infrastructure and AI skills in disadvantaged regions.
Without such investments, the “AI divide” will only grow, leaving underdeveloped areas and their startups struggling to keep pace.
AI offers the promise of a more equitable future, but only if we ensure that its benefits are shared.
As AI continues to reshape the global economy, it’s essential to involve more workers in its value chain, bridging the gap between promise and reality.
The business community must also play a pivotal role in ensuring that AI’s growth benefits all.
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