The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the workplace
On behalf of the OECD and as a part of an international research team, the Austrian Institute for SME Research (KMFA) has been conducting a study on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the workplace. How AI will impact workplaces is a central question for the future of work, with potentially significant implications for jobs, productivity, and worker well-being. This study looks at how firms, workers, and work organisation are adapting to AI through a qualitative approach. It is based on nearly 100 case studies of the impacts of AI technologies on workplaces in the manufacturing and finance sectors of eight OECD countries. The study shows that, to date, job reorganisation appears more prevalent than job displacement, with automation prompting the reorientation of jobs towards tasks in which humans have a comparative advantage. Job quality improvements associated with AI – reductions in tedium, greater worker engagement, and improved physical safety – may be its strongest endorsement from a worker perspective. The study also highlights challenges – skill requirements and reports of increased work intensity – underscoring the need for policies to ensure that AI technologies benefit everyone.
The report can be downloaded here:
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/the-impact-of-ai-on-the-workplace-evidence-from-oecd-case-studies-of-ai-implementation_2247ce58-en
For more information contact Thomas Oberholzner of the Austrian Institute for SME Research, t.oberholzner@kmuforschung.ac.at