From chatbots to assembly lines: the impact of AI on workplace safety

(Press-News.org) The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, spearheaded by generative AI, is expanding into various spheres of society, including the labour market. A study conducted by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and published as open access has examined the occupational health and safety implications of this technology.

"Artificial intelligence is already making decisions that directly affect the way we work and how we feel at work, often without adequate consideration of the consequences for people," said Xavier Baraza, dean of the UOC's Faculty of Economics and Business and co-author of the study together with Prof. Joan Torrent. They are both researchers at the ICT interdisciplinary research – AI Lab (i2TIC-IA Lab), and Torrent is one of its coordinators.

The aim of the study, published in the journal Encyclopedia, is to support the safe, ethical and sustainable integration of AI into the workplace, ensuring that technological advances lead to actual improvements in employee health, safety and well-being. "This article has been written in response to the need to pause, carefully reflect on what is happening and adopt a preventive and responsible approach to help anticipate risks and ensure that people are at the heart of the technological transformation," said Torrent.

The study examines current uses of these tools in the labour market, particularly in the automation of tasks in the industrial and service sectors, where they are used to perform repetitive or high-precision tasks, increasing efficiency and reducing the risk of human error. This can be seen in assembly lines, logistics operations and chatbot-based customer service, where AI handles routine processes, freeing staff for higher-value work.

AI is increasingly being used to support decision-making through algorithms capable of analysing large amounts of data in real time. For example, these systems can help plan human resources and, in the field of occupational health and safety, predictive models are already analysing accident data, identifying patterns that can be used by organizations to put in place more effective preventive measures. In advanced industrial environments, AI is also expanding into collaborative robotics. These applications show that this is not a future technology but a tool that is already integrated into many sectors.

 

The risks of technology Although this is not the first time that technology has revolutionized the world of work, there are differences between past cases and what is happening now. "Industrial mechanization and electricity, for example, profoundly changed the way people worked, but artificial intelligence marks an entirely new turning point. This is the first time that, far from merely automating tasks, a piece of technology has started to make decisions, organize work and assess people. This is a true paradigm shift, as it changes not only how people work but who makes decisions, how and under what criteria. This is why its impact is so immediate and far-reaching, forcing us to fundamentally rethink how we can safeguard people's health, safety and well-being at work," said Baraza.

The study also explores the risks arising from these systems in the workplace, such as technostress, which is the stress from having to adapt to digital tools without the necessary time or adequate training. Another risk is the perception of being under excessive surveillance due to the use of AI-based monitoring systems. The use of smart cameras, biometric sensors and productivity algorithms, among other technologies, can make staff feel that they are increasingly losing their privacy, as well as foster feelings of mistrust and negatively affect the work environment.

A third psychosocial risk is lack of trust in opaque systems. Workers' lack of understanding of how algorithms make decisions that affect their performance, schedules or assessment lead to feelings of uncertainty. The incorporation of AI into work environments also entails significant ethical and legal risks due to the way the algorithms process information and make decisions that directly affect workers.

"Technology is often introduced hastily, focusing only on efficiency or control, which can exacerbate these risks. Although we're heading in the right direction, there's still a long way to go: we need a stronger occupational health and safety culture, more reflection and a greater willingness to put people at the heart of technological decisions," said Torrent, director of the UOC-DIGIT research centre.

 

Adapting the regulatory framework According to the study, the rapid integration of AI into the workplace has often outpaced the adaptation of regulatory and ethical frameworks. In view of this, sound AI governance systems must be put in place to ensure that it is used responsibly and transparently, with people as its primary focus in occupational health and safety.

"There is a sound framework in place for the protection of workers that is still fully effective. The challenge isn't so much enacting completely new laws as adapting and interpreting the existing framework for new scenarios. The key is to anticipate these scenarios, apply preventive criteria in the design of technologies and make sure we don't wait until the damage is already done," said Baraza.

The next step in the study will be to analyse in greater detail how artificial intelligence is being used in specific work contexts and its actual effects on health, safety and the organization of work.

"Our goal is to produce useful evidence to help companies, institutions and public officials make better decisions in order to ensure that AI is more than mere technological innovation and can be used as a tool to truly help create a safer, healthier and more human workplace," concluded Torrent.

 

This study is aligned with the UOC's research missions on Digital transition and sustainability, Planetary health and well-being and Ethical and human-centred technology. It also contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 3, Good Health and Well-being; 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth; and 9, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

 

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More information: www.uoc.edu/en/research

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