Staff Writer
The OECD warned on Tuesday that the impact of an impending “AI revolution” that will disrupt employment, create new ones, and eliminate others must be quickly prepared for.
With tools that can make essays, create photographs, and even pass medical examinations, artificial intelligence is advancing quickly, raising concerns that it could automate the replacement of entire occupational sectors.
The OECD stated in its 2023 Employment Outlook that there was “so far” little proof that AI would have a materially detrimental impact on employment.
Although AI adoption is currently comparatively low, the research suggested that the OECD’s economies “might be on the verge of an AI revolution” due to its rapid advancement, declining costs, and growing availability of employees with the necessary skills.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development states that while AI has numerous potential advantages, there are also important hazards that must be immediately addressed.
There are 38 nations that make up the vast and powerful organization, from Australia to Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United States.
Better data on AI adoption and use in the workforce is “vital,” according to the OECD, “including which jobs will change, be created, or disappear, and how skills needs are shifting.”
According to Stefano Scarpetta, head of employment, labor, and social affairs at the OECD, the majority of AI use is concentrated in large companies that are still experimenting with the new technology. Many of these companies also look reluctant to replace employees.
In an editorial, he stated, “However, it is also clear that the potential for substitution remains significant, raising fears of declining wages and job losses.”
According to the OECD assessment, AI has the potential to increase workplace safety by eliminating “tedious or dangerous tasks” and increase compensation for those whose abilities complement the technology.
However, it could also “leave workers with a higher-paced work environment” and lower salaries for those “who find themselves squeezed into a diminished share of tasks due to automation”.
According to the OECD, jobs with the highest automation risk make up 27% of employment when AI is taken into account.
In addition, there are significant ethical issues with bias and discrimination, openness and explainability, autonomous decision-making, and responsibility associated with the usage of AI, according to Scarpetta.
To ensure that AI is used responsibly and in a trustworthy way in the workplace, he stated, “urgent action is required.”
On the one hand, it’s important to help workers and employers profit from AI while adjusting to it, particularly through training and social interaction.
