‘No protection from AI’, TUC warns

The government is failing to protect workers from exploitation by artificial intelligence (AI), the TUC has warned.

AI-powered technologies are making “high-risk, life changing” decisions about workers’ lives, including managing and hiring and firing staff, it said.

Yet, the union body says, ministers are refusing to put necessary safeguards in place, and the recent white paper on AI was a “dismal failure” that only provided “vague guidance and flimsy commitments”.

The TUC warned that the government’s Data Protection and Digital Information Bill is already setting a worrying direction of travel, and will dilute important rights.

“AI is going to transform the way millions work in this country and is already being used across the economy to line-manage, and hire and fire staff,” TUC assistant general secretary Kate Bell said.

“Without fair rules, this could lead to widespread discrimination and unfair treatment at work.

“It’s essential that employment law keeps pace with the AI revolution. But last month’s dismal AI white paper spectacularly failed to do that.”

The TUC wants employers to be made to disclose to workers how AI is being used in the workplace to make decisions about them, and for every worker to be entitled to a human review of decisions made by AI systems.