Part of a series examining global AI policies and guidance. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the workplace, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has issued a manifesto to ensure that technological advancements benefit all workers that can be found here: https://www.tuc.org.uk/research-analysis/reports/dignity-work-and-ai-revolution

"Dignity at Work and the AI Revolution" outlines fundamental values and proposals designed to safeguard worker rights, promote fairness, and ensure the responsible use of AI in employment settings.

A Call for Responsible AI

AI is rapidly transforming the way businesses operate, driving productivity and innovation. However, the TUC warns that AI could entrench inequality, discrimination, and unhealthy work practices without proper oversight. The manifesto highlights the need to act now, ensuring that AI is deployed in ways that respect worker dignity and maintain fairness, transparency, and human agency.

Worker-Centric AI

The TUC outlines several core values to guide the implementation of AI in the workplace:

1. Worker Voice: Workers should be actively involved in decisions about AI, particularly in its application to critical functions like recruitment and redundancy. Consultation with unions and employees is essential to ensure fairness.

2. Equality: AI systems must not perpetuate bias or discrimination. The manifesto highlights the dangers of facial recognition, which can yield biased outcomes if trained on unrepresentative data. All workers should have equal access to AI tools, regardless of age, race, or disability.

3. Health and Wellbeing: New technologies must not compromise workers' physical or mental health. The manifesto stresses that any system introduced should enhance rather than diminish workplace safety and wellbeing.

4. Work/Home Boundaries: With the rise of remote work, exacerbated by the pandemic, growing concern about AI monitoring blurs the line between personal and professional life. The TUC calls for clear boundaries to prevent constant surveillance and ensure employees can disconnect from work.

5. Human Connection: AI should not replace the human element in decision-making. The manifesto emphasises preserving human involvement, especially regarding important workplace decisions.

6. Transparency and Explainability: Workers need to know when AI is being used and understand how decisions about them are made. Transparency is vital to building trust and ensuring that technology operates fairly.

7. Data Awareness and Control: Employees should have greater control over their personal data. AI systems must be transparent about how data is used and give workers a say in how their data is handled.

8. Collaboration: The TUC stresses that all stakeholders—workers, employers, unions, policymakers, and tech developers—must collaborate to ensure AI benefits everyone.

Turning Values into Action

The manifesto doesn’t just present a set of ideals; it outlines concrete proposals for how these values can be realised in practice:

1. Regulating High-Risk AI: The TUC proposes focusing regulatory efforts on high-risk AI systems that can potentially significantly impact workers' lives. Sector-specific guidance should be developed with input from unions and civil society to ensure fairness.

2. Collective Bargaining and Worker Consultation: Employers should consult with trade unions when deploying AI systems, particularly those deemed high-risk. Collective agreements should reflect the values of fairness, transparency, and worker involvement.

3. Anti-Discrimination Measures: The TUC calls for legal reforms to protect workers from AI discrimination. The UK's data protection laws should be amended to ensure that discriminatory data processing is always unlawful, and those responsible for discriminatory AI decisions should be held accountable.

4. The Right to Disconnect: The manifesto proposes a statutory right for workers to disconnect from work, ensuring that AI systems do not intrude on their personal time or create excessive stress due to constant surveillance.

5. Transparency Obligations: Employers should be required to maintain a register of AI systems used in the workplace, detailing how they are used and their impact. This register should be accessible to all workers and job applicants, ensuring transparency.

6. Human Review of AI Decisions: Workers should have the right to request human intervention and review when AI makes important decisions about them, particularly in high-stakes situations like performance reviews or redundancies.

Shaping the Future of AI at Work

The TUC’s manifesto is a timely call to action. As AI becomes an increasingly integral part of the workplace, ensuring that its deployment does not undermine worker rights or exacerbate inequality is vital. By promoting transparency, equality, and worker involvement, the TUC aims to ensure that AI serves all interests rather than the few. The document serves as both a roadmap for the ethical use of AI in employment and a warning about the potential risks of unchecked technological advancement.

As the TUC stresses, the time to act is now, before AI-driven decisions in the workplace become the norm. In the age of AI, the future of work must prioritise dignity, fairness, and human agency.