WASHINGTON (OBV) – The U.S. Department of Labor released a comprehensive roadmap of artificial intelligence best practices for employers and developers to ensure that emerging AI technologies benefit workers when used in the workplace.
AI is a rapidly emerging technological phenomenon across the globe, creating vast possibilities for ingenuity and innovation in the workplace. However, there are ethical concerns about the use of AI, especially regarding whether the technology will supplant workers.
The AI best practices report, titled Artificial Intelligence And Worker Well-being: Principles And Best Practices For Developers And Employers, provides employers detailed guidance on how to ethically implement AI into the workplace and use the technology to empower workers.
“We have a shared responsibility to ensure that AI is used to expand equality, advance equity, develop opportunity and improve job quality,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “These Best Practices provide a roadmap for responsible AI in the workplace, helping businesses harness these technologies while proactively supporting and valuing their workers. As we embrace the opportunities that AI can offer, we must ensure workers are lifted up, not left behind.”
The Department of Labors’ AI strategies are aimed at benefiting both workers and businesses with a focus on ensuring workers’ rights, job quality, well-being, privacy and economic security.
“We should imagine a world where the human creativity that fuels AI is applied to make life better for working people and where AI is deployed in the workplace to improve the quality of jobs so that they are safer, more fulfilling, and more rewarding. This approach could introduce AI to the workplace in ways that would combat poverty, increase support for workers and their families, and expand worker autonomy,” Su said in her introduction to the best practices.
A summary of AI best practices recommended by the Department of Labor are as follows:
- Ethically developing AI standards, review processes and establishing governance structures.
- Ensuring meaningful human oversight for significant employment decisions.
- Being transparent with workers about the use of AI and identifying how AI can assist workers.
- Centering workers and their input on the use of AI in the workplace.
- Protecting workers’ labor and employment rights.
- Providing AI training for workers.
- Securing and protecting worker data.
Department of Labor officials said they are aligning their own operations with their AI Principles and Best Practices.
“The department will continue to engage with companies, unions, workers, and other stakeholders to protect and empower workers when AI is used in the workplace,” Department of Labor officials said.
The proper use of AI has been a concern among leaders at the Oklahoma State Capitol as well.
Gov. Kevin Stitt created a task force last year to investigate the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence.
The task force set the following as the primary goals for using AI to support Oklahoma businesses:
- Enhance Oklahoma’s economy through increased investment in AI infrastructure to stimulate economic growth and technological leadership.
- Ensure AI is implemented ethically by emphasizing transparency, accountability and data protection.
- Implement AI education across K-12 and higher education while investing in workforce retraining programs to prepare current and future generations for an AI-centric job market.
- Support AI innovation by encouraging research and development, fostering new public-private partnerships, and aiding start-ups to make Oklahoma a hub for cutting-edge technological creativity.
The task force made the following five primary recommendations on implementing AI:
- Create leadership positions within the state, such as establishing a chief artificial intelligence officer.
- Establish an AI oversight committee that incorporates all three branches of government.
- Establish an AI technology economic development task force to leverage Oklahoma’s AI infrastructure.
- Establish an AI digital workforce task force to encourage the existing workforce to incorporate more digital employees.
- Establish an AI technology talent task force to recruit more technologically skilled individuals to Oklahoma.
The Department of Labor’s complete AI Principles and Best Practices are shared below:
