Zimbabwe has called for urgent global cooperation to ensure that the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies does not leave workers behind.
Speaking at the ongoing 114th Session of the International Labour Conference in Switzerland, Geneva yesterday, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Edgar Moyo said while AI and automation were creating new opportunities for productivity and innovation, they were also presenting significant challenges that required coordinated international action.
“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and automation technologies is fundamentally reshaping the world of work.
The dynamics include amongst others, a shift in the nature of work across industries, employment relationship models and skill requirements,” he said.
The minister noted that while AI had delivered considerable benefits to businesses and economies, its growing influence on workplaces was also generating concerns over inequality, job security and fairness.
“Despite AI’s undeniable gains such as productivity, innovation and human resources management, its rapid integration brings significant challenges such as rising and widening inequality, job insecurity, automated and unfair dispute settlement systems as well as ethical and social risks,” said Moyo.
He warned that without appropriate safeguards and regulatory frameworks, technological transformation could deepen existing social and economic disparities, particularly among vulnerable workers and communities.
Minister Moyo said governments, employers, workers’ organisations and international institutions had a collective responsibility to ensure that technological progress translates into inclusive and sustainable development.
“Collective action is therefore very pertinent towards human-centred transitions in response to AI and digitalization. As the ILO, we need to work together to regulate and mitigate the negative effects of AI in the world of work,” he said.
The minister stressed that the future of work should be guided by principles that place people at the centre of technological change, ensuring that innovation supports decent work, social justice and equitable economic growth.
His remarks come as countries around the world grapple with the implications of emerging technologies on employment, skills development and labour rights. Policymakers and labour experts have increasingly raised concerns over the potential displacement of workers by automation and the need for new policies to address changing workplace realities.
The International Labour Conference, convened annually by the International Labour Organization (ILO), brings together governments, employers and workers’ representatives to discuss key labour and employment issues affecting the global economy.
