“Workers everywhere must be able to benefit from the productivity gains generated by AI,” said Gilbert Houngbo as he opened the ILO’s major annual meeting in Geneva.

“These gains must be distributed fairly, through better wages, strengthened labor protections, and more inclusive growth,” he noted.

Mr. Houngbo emphasized that AI, currently booming worldwide, “is reshaping the way work is organized, the way value is created, and the way decisions are made, at an unprecedented speed and scale.”

With public unease mounting, AI executives have begun to moderate their rhetoric on the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, after previously warning of significant job displacement.

So far, economic institutions have largely maintained that the impact of this technology on employment remains limited, with the European Central Bank among the most recent to echo that view.

The ILO director argued that “the future of work will not be determined by technology alone, but also by the policies, institutions, and social dialogue that shape it.”

“The choices we make today will determine whether AI expands opportunities and shared prosperity, or whether it exacerbates inequality and precariousness,” warned Mr. Houngbo.

“These choices include investing in skills, strengthening social protection and labor rights, supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and upholding fundamental principles and rights at work. Ultimately, this is a social and political choice about the future we wish to build,” he continued.

Representatives of governments, employers, and workers from the ILO’s 187 member states are meeting from June 1 to 12 at the International Labour Conference to discuss issues related to the world of work.

In particular, ILO members anticipate concluding negotiations in the coming days on a new international treaty for digital platform workers.

This is “a significant step toward addressing new forms of work and closing gaps in protection and innovation, ” said Mr. Houngbo.

Although they largely control the tasks and compensation, platforms classify these workers as independent contractors rather than employees, a classification that allows them to bypass requirements regarding minimum wage, workplace safety, and access to social security, according to  Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Written in French by AFP, edited in English by Amina Kadiri