GENEVA, Switzerland / RankWire.AI / – The International Labour Organization has published a working paper examining how international labour standards can guide the responsible use of artificial intelligence at work. The study was released on October 23 as ILO Working Paper 182. It argues that the agency’s long-standing labour framework offers a central reference point for applying AI ethics in concrete workplace situations. The authors note that many AI ethics guidelines remain broad and voluntary. They offer limited direction on how AI should be governed in specific employment settings.
The paper is titled AI Ethics and the ILO’s international labour standards system: exploring synergies. It was written by ILO researchers Jordi Agustí-Panareda and Daniel Samaan. Agustí-Panareda leads the ILO Ethics Office. The study maps widely recognised AI ethics principles against the ILO Constitution, the Declaration of Philadelphia and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The ILO was founded in 1919 and has 187 member states. Its research has also tracked trends such as falling global wage inequality.
The researchers compare five widely recognised AI ethics principles with the ethical foundations of the ILO’s normative framework. These are justice, beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and explicability. The paper finds significant convergence around fairness, human dignity, well-being and the prevention of harm. The overlap is strongest on justice, beneficence and non-maleficence. An earlier ILO-linked review of 245 AI ethics documents found that few referred to the ILO. It also found that links to labour issues were mostly implicit.
Collective rights missing from AI ethics debate
The analysis also reveals important differences between the two systems. AI ethics frameworks tend to emphasise individual autonomy, privacy and transparency. The ILO’s framework adds collective dimensions and rights, including freedom of association, collective bargaining and social dialogue. The paper notes that these collective elements are often missing from mainstream discussions of AI ethics. Yet they play a key role in determining how new technologies are introduced and governed at work.
The paper also examines how AI raises questions that may need renewed attention in applying labour standards. These include the collection and use of workers’ personal data and the rise of algorithmic management. Workplace surveillance and the transparency of AI-assisted employment decisions are also covered. When AI systems screen job applicants or evaluate performance, understanding how decisions are made becomes essential. Research has already linked generative AI to shrinking junior roles in some sectors.
Tripartite model offered for AI governance
The authors suggest that AI ethics and international labour standards can reinforce one another. Established labour rights can help shape the discussion on how AI is governed in workplaces. Emerging AI ethics principles can in turn inform how labour standards are applied as technologies evolve. The paper says AI ethics can help clarify issues such as data governance, explainability and algorithmic management. It describes the ILO framework as a credible reference point for ethical AI in labour settings.
The findings highlight the potential role of the ILO’s tripartite structure in wider debates on AI governance. By bringing together governments, employers and workers, the ILO can consider more than the technical side of ethical AI. Its framework also covers effects on working conditions, collective representation and social justice. The authors call for further research and dialogue on a human-centred approach to technological change at work. The paper is available through the ILO Observatory on AI and Work in the Digital Economy.