Employment in times of digitalization and artificial intelligence

Employment in times of digitalization and artificial intelligence
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Employment in times of digitalization and artificial intelligence

4 November–6 December 2024
The course is available in English
Introduction to the course

Over recent years, there have been rapid advances in digital technologies, most prominently in the area of artificial intelligence (AI). As also witnessed during previous waves of disruption, these fast developments have led to new speculation on the likely impact of such technologies, on labour markets. Due to the application across many occupations and sectors, the effects of AI on jobs have potentially far-reaching implications for jobs. Academia and the media are full of existential questions such as: will AI take our jobs?

History has shown us that technological change does impact labour markets, but there are both winners and losers in the process. The adoption of the steam machine, assembly line and computer resulted in job losses and new occupations, but the net effect has been, overall, positive as economies have continue to expand and create new opportunities. The key question today is whether this will be the same over the coming years and decades.

The digital economy refers to all economic activities using the Internet as a platform and digital information and knowledge as key inputs for the process of producing, marketing and distributing goods and services. The concept is also defined as the economic processes made possible thanks to the existence of, and interaction with, the Internet, mobile networks and information technologies. Digital networks and communication infrastructure have led to the creation of new platforms. It has generated new forms of production systems and work, along with new enterprises and occupations that require different skills.

In 2019, the ILO marked its centenary at a time of transformative change in the world of work, driven by four mega trends: technological innovations, demographic shifts, environmental and climate change, and globalization. The Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, 2019 called upon member states to harness its fullest potential of technological progress and productivity growth, including through social dialogue, to achieve decent work and sustainable development. In 2021, the Global Call to Action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis emphasised the impact of the crisis on existing decent work deficits and the impact of the crisis on digital gaps within and among countries. The ILO committed to support its members states to harness the fullest potential of technological progress and digitalization, including platform work, to create decent jobs and sustainable enterprises, enable broad social participation in its benefits and address its risks and challenges, including by reducing the digital divide between people and countries.

Who attends this course?

The course targets senior government officials of ministries of employment/labour, economy, finance and planning, and line ministries, representatives of workers' and employers' organizations, experts and technical staff, including from development partners, working in the field of employment and labour market policy.

Objective

In response to this, the Employment Policy and Analysis Programme of the ITCILO with the support of experts from the Employment, Labour Markets and Youth Branch (EMPLAB) and other departments of the ILO is preparing a training on employment in the digital economy, exploring both emerging opportunities and challenges. The objective is to better understand the scope of the digital revolution and its impact from a decent work perspective, e.g., the impact on labour markets, jobs, skills, specific groups and public employment services. This training will also highlight “digital divides” across groups, sectors and countries, while presenting ILO diagnostic tools to analyse the impact of digitalization on employment and policy dimensions to harness the benefits of the digital economy. The training will also emphasize the role of innovation in making the digital transformation more inclusive.

Content

This online course presents global trends, emerging challenges and opportunities, and various policy elements for decent work and inclusion in the digital economy. The course covers the following topics:

  • Employment trends and the rise of artificial intelligence
  • Employment diagnostics and identifying the effects of digitalization on the labour market
  • Emerging skills in the new digital economy
  • Digitalization of public employment services and supporting transitions during times of rapid change
  • Platform economy and informality
Methodology

The course will follow the ITCILO participatory approach and will facilitate discussions between experts, including ILO specialists and ITCILO trainers and policymakers. The training will be held online for a duration of five weeks.

Working languages

The training will be held in English.

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