GenAI Won’t Take Away Jobs: ILO

Amidst the growing debate over how artificial intelligence (AI) could transform global business and possibly contract the job market, a new UN study has suggested that this tech innovation could actually augment jobs rather than destroy them. However, there’s a catch – most jobs that will be affected in the developed world could have a bigger impact on women. 

The study was conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) following concerns across the world around how the generative AI platform ChatGPT could potentially result in a dramatic transformation of the workspace. In the past, several business leaders have reiterated that at best GenAI, in its current form, can take up about 30% of any job role. 

The research, which set out to examine the potential impact of such AI platforms on job quantity and quality, claims most jobs and industry are only partially exposed to automation. It said that AI would automate certain tasks but is more likely to complement rather than entirely replace most people’s jobs. 

Clerical staff would be hit the hardest

However, the segment that is likely to be hit the hardest would be clerical work, which could end up having a massive impact on women’s employment due to their over-representation in this field, especially in the developed world. The report notes that even in the past, generational shifts in technology had sparked similar concerns. 

The introduction of the moving assembly lines in the early 1900s followed by mainframe computers in the 1950s had generated similar concerns. Clerical work could be severely affected with more than a quarter of the tasks potentially getting automated. The study also highlighted that policymakers need to address these changes engineered by generative AI. 

Governments need to frame fresh policies

The report reiterated the need for proactive policies at the governmental level as well as a global level to ensure integration of AI into the workforce while keeping a close watch on its impact on jobs and reducing potential risks for workers worldwide. “The greatest impact of this technology is likely to not be job destruction but rather the potential changes to the quality of jobs, notably work intensity and autonomy,” the report said. 

Another point that came across strongly from the ILO study is the variance in impact of generative AI across professions and geographical regions. Which is where the story of more women getting impacted in categories with the greatest technical exposure came up. However, the impact would also be higher at clerical jobs than with managers and technicians. 

Job losses more in richer nations

The analysis also suggested that the job losses would be higher in countries with higher incomes where automating functions that reduce costs is considered of paramount importance. About 5.5% of total jobs in high income countries could potentially be exposed to generative AI while this number would be as low as 0.4% in low income geographies. 

However, the ILO paper found that while the job loss potential was skewed against high income countries, the potential for augmentation through generative AI was almost equal across all regions. Which is where the report brings in the urgent need for having the right type of policy framework across developing economies. 

While augmentation of jobs appears to indicate positive developments such as automating routine tasks to free up time for more engaging work, such a move could also be implemented in a way that limits workers’ agency or accelerates work intensity. Therefore, countries need to design policies to support an “orderly, fair and consultative” shift, says the ILO.