Responding to global employment challenges

The ILO is calling for the promotion of lifelong learning to address the risk of job losses to artificial intelligence (AI).

The rapid development of AI is having a significant impact on the global labor market. (Illustrative image)

At the 114th International Labour Conference, organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland, delegations representing workers, employers, and member states discussed many important issues shaping the world of work. The ILO called for promoting lifelong learning to address the risk of job losses to artificial intelligence (AI).

In his opening remarks at the conference, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo emphasized that the future of work will be determined not only by technology, but also by the policies, institutions, and social dialogue that guide it. Against the backdrop of a global economy already experiencing slow growth, characterized by a long-term lack of sustainable jobs, the choices made today will determine whether AI will expand opportunities and shared prosperity or deepen inequality and insecurity. Workers everywhere need to be able to share in the productivity benefits created by AI.

Those benefits must be distributed equitably through better wages, stronger labor protections, and more inclusive growth. Under a prolonged oil crisis scenario, the ILO predicts that global working hours could be reduced by the equivalent of 14 million full-time jobs in 2026 and 38 million jobs in 2027, with labor income losses reaching $3 trillion by 2027.

The fear that AI will "steal" jobs is entirely justified and is a hot topic globally. However, viewed objectively, the relationship between AI and the labor market is not simply a matter of "AI replacing humans"; it's a shift, a reshaping of the job market. AI excels particularly at data processing, pattern recognition, and performing repetitive tasks.

The fear that AI will "steal" jobs is entirely justified and is a hot topic globally.

Therefore, the jobs under the most pressure include office work, administration, entry-level content creation and design, entry-level programmers, and customer service. A common misconception is that AI will completely eliminate a job title. In reality, AI usually only replaces a few tasks within that job.

For example, AI won't completely replace a doctor, but it can read X-ray results faster and more accurately. Doctors can then reduce the time spent on technical analysis and focus on consultations, developing treatment plans, and interacting with and encouraging patients.

The biggest danger lies not in the lack of new jobs, but in the skills gap and the speed of adaptation, leading to temporary unemployment. AI creates new jobs such as command optimization engineers, AI ethics experts, data engineers, etc., but someone who has just lost a translation or data entry job cannot immediately switch to these high-tech jobs. The wealth gap widens because those who master AI will be 5-10 times more productive and receive very high salaries. Conversely, those who refuse or lack access to AI will fall behind, leading to the risk of a surplus of low-skilled labor.

In the context of digitalization and AI, the green transition, and demographic changes reshaping labor markets worldwide, the ILO calls on countries to elevate lifelong learning to a central pillar of economic and social policy. Instead of worrying about being left behind by AI, the best approach is to proactively upgrade oneself through lifelong learning to become an AI master. Experts recommend focusing on values ​​that AI will take a long time, or never, to catch up with humans, such as emotional intelligence (EQ), critical thinking and ethics, and groundbreaking creativity.

Based on surveys of new workers, analysis of online job postings, institutional data, and reviews of 174 studies, the ILO's report "Lifelong Learning and Skills for the Future" warns that without stronger investment in inclusive learning systems, these transformations risk exacerbating inequalities between and within countries.

The ILO emphasizes that lifelong learning is the bridge between today's jobs and tomorrow's opportunities. This is not only related to employability and labor productivity, but also supports high-quality jobs, fosters genuine innovation, and builds a sustainable society, making lifelong learning a central element of any successful strategy for sustainable growth and development.

TO MINH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ung-pho-thach-thuc-viec-lam-toan-cau-post966836.html