Experts from around the world recently convened in a webinar organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming work and explore ways to ensure that these changes advance decent work, social justice, and human prosperity. Sher Verick, ILO coordinator for digitalization and AI, emphasized that the transformation is happening now, and the central challenge is to guide it in a way that protects workers’ rights and promotes equitable opportunities.
During the first meeting of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the panel’s responsibility in shaping AI’s trajectory to benefit humanity, noting the unprecedented expertise and global representation of its members. Experts stressed that AI systems increasingly influence real-world outcomes, including hiring decisions and access to essential services, making technical standards, skills development, and ethical governance critical for trustworthy AI.
The webinar also highlighted the often-overlooked “invisible workforce” that keeps AI functioning. Content moderators and data labelers, primarily in the Global South, work under extreme pressure, facing constant monitoring, low wages, and exposure to highly distressing material such as sexual violence, accidents, and death. Workers are frequently bound by non-disclosure agreements, limiting their ability to discuss the psychological toll of their work, which has raised concerns among human rights advocates.
Trade unions and organizations such as UNI Global Union are responding by promoting safe-work protocols, collective bargaining rights, and fair distribution of AI’s benefits. Algorithmic management, in which AI systems control task allocation, performance evaluation, and work pace, has been linked to heightened stress, unsafe practices, and in some cases, fatal accidents among couriers and delivery workers in the UK. Studies indicate that two-thirds of these workers experience anxiety due to unpredictable schedules and unfair feedback dictated by algorithms, while many feel compelled to take unsafe actions to preserve their income.
Speakers warned that without proper safeguards, AI could intensify work pressures, reduce human oversight, reinforce biases, and worsen digital surveillance in employment decisions. The ILO and ITU are developing international frameworks, including the AI for Good platform and the Global Coalition for Social Justice, to guide AI’s responsible deployment. The overarching goal is to ensure that AI enhances human potential, promotes safe and fair working conditions, and aligns with human rights, equality, and sustainable development rather than prioritizing technological progress alone.
