ILO calls to place people at centre of AI revolution
Jun 04, 2026
Geneva [Switzerland], June 4: ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo opened the 114th International Labour Conference (ILC) with a call to place people at the centre of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, stressing that the future of work will depend not only on technological advances, but on the policies, institutions and social dialogue that shape their impact on people's lives.
"The future of work will not be determined by technology alone, but by the policies, institutions and social dialogue that guide it," Houngbo said in his opening address.
Drawing on the findings of his report to the Conference, A Moment of Choice: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Decent Work, the Director-General called for a human-centred approach to AI and highlighted a strategic agenda built around four pillars: rights, employment and skills, social protection and social dialogue.
Houngbo stressed that workers everywhere must be able to benefit from the productivity gains generated by AI. "Those gains must be distributed fairly through better wages, stronger labour protections and more inclusive growth," he said, adding that "collective bargaining will be essential, alongside AI governance grounded in transparency, accountability and human oversight."
"The choices we make today will determine whether AI broadens opportunity and shared prosperity or deepens inequality and insecurity", he emphasised.
Houngbo placed these challenges in the context of a global economy facing growing uncertainty and multiple pressures on jobs and livelihoods.
The ILO annual conference together brings worker, employer and government delegates from the Organization's 187 Member States to address a wide range of issues that have a long-term impact on the world of work.
Source: Emirates News Agency
