TUC's New Task Force: Defending Employee Rights Against AI Threats in the Workplace

Quincy Jon, Tech Times 03 September 2023, 12:09 pm

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has established a new task force on artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace to address concerns about the abuse of AI technology and its effects on workers' rights.

The TUC focuses on practical issues confronting workers as the world discusses AI's existential concerns. The task force, co-chaired by Mary Towers, a TUC activist, Dee Masters, an employment lawyer, and Gina Neff, a tech specialist from the University of Cambridge, intends to write ground-breaking laws to safeguard employees against the negative consequences of AI in the workplace, The Guardian reported.

Neff, who heads Cambridge's Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy, stressed that the UK must act to maintain its leadership in responsible AI.

Creating AI Regulations to Ensure Human Workers' Future

Workers in various businesses are already subject to intensive monitoring and hiring and firing decisions that AI influences. Concerns regarding privacy invasion, intensified workload, employment instability, and possible discrimination have been raised due to the fast growth of generative AI.

In the spring of 2024, the task force plans to propose a draft legislation that the UK government may choose to enact. Notably, David Davis, a former cabinet minister for the Conservatives, and Darren Jones, the leader of the business select committee for Labour, will serve on the advisory group for the task force. Trade organization TechUK will also participate as the TUC seeks widespread support for its initiatives.

Co-founder of the AI Law Consultancy Dee Masters observed that AI may conceal unethical business activities inside enigmatic algorithms. Inaccurate data and algorithmic judgments without awareness may impact employers. Thus, it is critical to address these problems with specific laws.

Embracing AI in The Workplace

Despite its potential, AI must be utilized responsibly in the workplace. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), properly deploying AI in business settings is a critical problem. Hence, according to a BBC report, the OECD is engaging with companies and authorities to guarantee AI's safe and ethical usage.

Meanwhile, some experts believe that the AI revolution emphasizes how crucial it is for workers to embrace, not fight, the world's expanding automation. Gaurav Jetley, an assistant professor of computer information systems at the CSU College of Business, teaches two courses to diverse student backgrounds on AI and machine learning, where they can be used, and how they can be used to generate business insights.

According to an article posted on the Colorado State University website, Jetley recommends that all of his learners, regardless of their academic backgrounds, learn at least the fundamentals of coding and grow used to adjusting to new software. The professor underlined that success has always required ongoing learning and flexibility since "what is the norm today may be a relic of the past as soon as next month."

Jetley contends that although AI may be excellent at certain activities, the next generation of employees should develop critical thinking skills and the capacity to adapt to changing situations, along with a strategy for continual education to remain abreast of the need for new skill sets.