DIGITAL LIFE

AI and the future of work: who should take responsibility for mitigating the negative impact of technology?

Despite promises of increased productivity, AI also brings serious challenges to the world of work, including the disappearance of professions and the urgent need to retrain workers. But who should take responsibility for mitigating these impacts?

The impact of AI on the future of work was one of the highlighted themes during the third edition of the Responsible AI Forum, organized by the Center for Responsible AI, in a panel that brought together Ramayya Krishnan (Carnegie Mellon University), Pedro Santa Clara (Nova SBE and TUMO), Magda Cocco (VdA), and Joana Rafael (Sensei Tech).

Despite all the benefits "promised" by AI, it is difficult to remain indifferent to the negative impacts of the technology on the world of work. But whose responsibility is it to mitigate them? Pedro Santa Clara believes that this will have to be a shared responsibility between individuals, companies, but also governments, which have an urgent role in this "puzzle".

Responsibility is fundamental, but there is a criterion that the professor considers equally important: universality. “There is a large ‘gap’ between workers who use AI and those who do not. If we leave too many people behind, we will be creating a disjointed society,” he emphasizes.

The challenge lies in developing and implementing the technology in a way that ensures greater equity. To do this, it is necessary to guarantee “universal access to AI tools,” he argues.

Preparing workers for the new challenges of the AI ​​age is urgent, but, as Pedro Santa Clara admits, the world of training is still searching for a solution to a worrying issue: “we have to retrain a third of the workforce in the next five years (...) there is no educational institution that is prepared for a challenge of this size.”

In the leader's view, one of the biggest problems is that “we know that these people need to be retrained, but we don't know for which area: we don't know what professions they will have.” In this sense, programs like AI Dive, developed by Escola 42, of which he is also the director, aim to make a difference through short-term training that presents challenges related to the implementation of AI in multiple business areas, allowing participants to gain a new perspective on the technology and learn in a more practical and collaborative way.

Ramayya Krishnan details that it is a challenge to list the specific skills that will be needed for each area, since intervention in these fields will vary according to their needs. However, there are two fundamental long-term capabilities for workers to be able to "navigate" the new era of AI: knowing how to "learn to learn" and having critical thinking skills.

From the Government's side, Bernardo Correia, Secretary of State for Digitalization, had already argued during the opening session that "technology is the key to building a more prosperous future," responsibly, so that everyone, as a society, can enjoy the benefits generated.

According to the Secretary of State, "we are at an important moment," in which we have to make "ambitious choices" to guarantee the country's future, including in fields such as AI, knowing how to balance innovation and risk.

As highlighted by Bernardo Correia, AI is established as one of the pillars of the Government's strategy. The national AI strategy is being finalized, which is complemented by other strategies integrated into the goals of the State Reform, in areas such as data centers, but also in digital skills.

The Secretary of State believes that Portugal has "the talent, the vision and the maturity" to lead in AI in Europe and, for this vision to materialize, he makes an appeal for collaboration to the innovation community, reinforcing the need to open the door to dialogue between stakeholders to outline policies that promote a responsible and sustainable ecosystem.

mundophone