BRICS meeting debates impacts of Artificial Intelligence on workers
Artificial Intelligence (AI), workers, particularly the elderly and women, and the future of employment were discussed during the BRICS technical meeting. The new technology is not a monster, but this new reality requires investment in worker training.
The first technical meeting of the BRICS addressed issues related to the world of labor, such as the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the future of jobs. The meeting was held this Wednesday and Thursday, February 12 and 13, through a videoconference hosted in Brasília. According to Maíra Lacerda, head of the International Advisory at Brasil’s Ministry of Labor and Employment (Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego/MTE), the discussions centered on strengthening cooperation among the countries of the bloc, following the theme proposed by Brasil’s BRICS Presidency.
In this sense, Lacerda pointed out the need to develop social protection policies to support workers who may lose their jobs due to Artificial Intelligence, particularly the elderly, women, and individuals under vulnerability.
Coordinated by the MTE, the meeting also addressed the impacts of climate change on labor and the paths for a fair transition. Moreover, participants discussed the need for public and private sectors to promote training and skill development opportunities for workers to respond to the new social, climatic, and digital reality. The World Labour Organization (WTO) also attended the meeting.
According to Lacerda, the group does not fear artificial intelligence, and everyone agrees that it is not a monster. There is, however, a discussion on how to provide the means to prepare individuals to deal with AI. “We have very diverse countries in the group, but we are concerned about how to protect workers in the context of change, about ethics and artificial intelligence. My assessment is a positive one. We are all on the same page. Digital transformation is a means to promote new economic sectors and it has the potential to generate new job opportunities,” she stated.
As a result of the discussions, the BRICS Employment working group expects to present a statement reinforcing the need for concrete policies to strengthen cooperation among Global South countries on this agenda.
Artificial Intelligence in the BRICS agenda
In the field of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI), the Brazilian Presidency will highlight Artificial Intelligence (AI) in its various facets, from governance to the more technical aspects related to this technology. Cooperation in STI will be guided to search for guarantees that technological advancements, particularly in the field of AI, can equitably benefit all countries —the developing ones in particular— advocating for respect for human rights, personal data protection, and information integrity.
Another priority of the Brazilian Presidency is the promotion of industrial innovation, with a special focus on strengthening collaboration among universities, businesses, and technological parks, as well as technology transfer strategies.