'We need to step up our efforts, including public and private sector investment, to upskill people'
International Labour Organisation Director-General Gilbert Houngbo has said artificial intelligence should not be seen in a negative way as he pointed out the millions of new jobs that will emerge from the technology.
"I do not think we should see artificial intelligence in a negative way, it is not an obstacle," Houngbo told G20 Brasil in an interview.
The ILO chief delivered what he described as his "controversial" take on AI amid job security concerns following research that suggests the technology could expose millions of full-time jobs around the world.
"We know that many jobs will be, and are already being, lost because of artificial intelligence," Houngbo said.
But he also pointed out that "many, many millions of new jobs will be created" from AI: "In the short, medium term, the delta will remain positive."
Adapting to AI
According to the ILO chief, the real question for AI is about adapting to it and ensuring that it is made for human beings.
"The challenge is that job losses and the number of new jobs created can become negative," he said.
Houngbo stressed that the transformation of existing jobs can make this equation positive and called for the need to upskill employees.
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"We need to reskill ourselves so that we can be more comfortable and on top of this need for transformation," he said.
He pointed out that it is important to ensure that there is a "minimum level of protection" provided to workers: "This is why we need to step up our efforts, including public and private sector investment, to upskill these people."
It is also crucial to think about the global governance of AI, he added.
"It is important for us to think about the global governance of AI. How we define it will help address the question of the risk of impact on labour rights," Houngbo said.