AI must be people-first to make work safer, IOSH warns

Speaking at the International Labour Conference in Geneva, IOSH’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs Ruth Wilkinson highlighted how AI and digitalisation are rapidly transforming jobs and workplaces, creating new opportunities to prevent harm, improve decision-making and design safer systems of work.

“We meet at a pivotal moment,” she said. “Artificial intelligence and digitalisation is already reshaping jobs, workplaces and livelihoods.

“AI can help identify harms before they can occur. It can help eliminate exposures. And it can help design safer and healthier systems. But without the right governance, without responsible and ethical practice, and without worker voice opportunities, it can bring significant risk.

“The challenge before us is not whether AI will transform work – but whether that transformation will be safe, healthy, fair, and human-centred. AI driven time pressure, work intensification, discriminatory outcomes, intrusive monitoring, and loss of autonomy can impact both physical and mental health.”

Ruth called for occupational safety and health to be central to how AI is designed and used. Her speech at the conference, on Wednesday 3 June, followed publication earlier this year of IOSH’s white paper The digital dilemma. This highlighted how organisations often overlook the human impact of technology transformation.

Ruth added: “If left unchecked, these systems risk weakening accountability and distancing employers from their responsibility for decent work and working conditions.”

IOSH is urging a proactive approach, built on strong safeguards from the outset.

“Safety by design must be non-negotiable,” said Ruth. “Workplace AI systems – whether used in hiring, productivity monitoring, or automated decision making – must undergo rigorous occupational safety and health and fundamental rights impact assessments before deployment.

“AI governance requires meaningful worker participation, social dialogue, and respect for collective bargaining rights. Workers, managers, and safety and health professionals require the knowledge and skills to understand and manage AI-related risks.”

She concluded by calling for collective action to shape a positive future for AI at work.

“If we act together – governments, employers, workers and international organisations – we can steer AI toward a future where technology amplifies human dignity, not diminish it.

“Let us commit today to a global framework where innovation serves humanity – and where every worker, in every country, benefits from safe, healthy, responsible, and human centred AI.”