A new International Labor Organization (ILO) research report has found that while artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can improve efficiency and productivity, they can also create risks to psychosocial working conditions through workplace surveillance, work intensification, reduced job autonomy, and concerns about privacy and data use.
This paper examines how artificial intelligence (AI), which operates in very different ways than traditional management, is reshaping the psychosocial work environment, highlighting new risks to workers’ mental and social well-being.
AI technology is increasingly being used across the employment cycle. They are reimagining how work is planned, organized, and managed, including in areas such as recruiting, monitoring, and performance management. More broadly, the paper points to challenges associated with the use of AI in workplace management, both on digital platforms and in traditional workplaces, including limited transparency in decision-making and the increasing role of data-driven surveillance systems, and how countries are responding to these challenges through regulatory measures.
It also highlights that these risks are not always fully captured in existing occupational health and safety frameworks, which in many countries still tend to focus on physical hazards rather than the mental and social aspects of work.
To date, there is no comprehensive legislation that specifically addresses AI-related changes to the world of work, and this ILO document emphasizes that an integrated policy approach is needed to address the risks posed by digital technologies. This includes combining labor and employment regulations with occupational health and safety, equality and anti-discrimination, and data protection frameworks.
By discussing how AI is impacting the psychosocial work environment, this paper aims to help policy makers develop responses that protect worker well-being while managing technological change.
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