On Could 16, 2024, the DOL announced the issuance of a set of rules offering employers and builders that create and deploy AI with steering for designing and implementing these applied sciences (DOL: Artificial Intelligence and Worker Well-Being: Principles and Best Practices for Developers and Employers).
Whereas recognizing the advantages and potential dangers of AI, the Principles are designed to guard employees’ rights and enhance office high quality as employers undertake new AI office techniques. The AI Principles replicate a complete strategy to integrating synthetic intelligence into the office whereas addressing moral issues and making certain accountability. Right here’s a breakdown of key factors:
Based on the DOL, AI techniques ought to heart employee empowerment, particularly underserved communities, and employees ought to have enter into the design, improvement, testing, coaching, use, and oversight of AI techniques used within the office. In different phrases, the Principles emphasize transparency in AI techniques, making certain that stakeholders perceive how AI selections are made, which is essential for sustaining accountability and belief.
Upon implementation of AI techniques, the DOL supplies that there ought to be clear procedures and insurance policies for the use of AI within the office. This not solely helps defend employees but in addition ensures that the employer can adequately defend its confidential and commerce secret data.
Additional, the DOL recommends that AI techniques ought to be designed in a means that protects employees. On this regard, it’s the DOL’s place that AI ought to complement and allow employees whereas bettering job high quality. Within the unlucky case of jobs being negatively affected by the implementation of AI, the DOL recommends that employers assist and/or upskill affected employees.
Lastly, the DOL’s AI Principles additionally present warnings concerning the safety of worker rights. Particularly, the DOL hopes to make sure that AI techniques don’t intervene or in any other case intervene with staff’ federally protected rights, well being, or security and don’t perpetuate or exacerbate biases.
Primarily based on the AI Principles, that are non-binding steering, it’s clear that the DOL is anxious about job loss and interference with employee rights because of this of AI implementation. The DOL has been hands-on in issuing steering referring to AI, and the AI Principles will be interpreted as an try to manage the use of AI within the absence of binding federal laws. Employers ought to pay particular consideration to all authorized authority referring to AI on this quickly evolving panorama.