Guidelines for Morally Sound Artificial Intelligence
In an effort to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are designed and used in a way that respects workers' rights and promotes fairness, accountability, privacy, and transparency, the UNI Global Union has introduced the Top Ten Principles for Ethical AI. These principles are particularly relevant as the increasing use of AI, robotics, data, and machine learning in workplaces worldwide raises concerns about the impact on workers.
While the exact ten principles by UNI Global Union are not specified, they are generally focused on protecting workers from bias and discrimination embedded in AI decision-making, ensuring transparency and explainability in AI systems affecting workers, upholding privacy and control over workers' personal and professional data, guaranteeing accountability for harms caused by AI in the workplace, and promoting fairness, inclusion, and human oversight in AI applications.
The UNI Global Union's principles align closely with the Ten Principles for Workers' Data Rights, which emphasize workers’ rights to control, access, and understand how their data is collected, used, and shared, particularly in AI-driven environments. The workers’ data rights principles often include the right to informed consent regarding data collection, the right to access and correct personal data, the right to meaningful transparency about data use and automated decision-making, the right to fair treatment and non-discrimination, and the right to collective bargaining and participation in decisions impacting AI deployment.
The relationship between the two sets of principles is that the UNI Global Union’s Ten Principles for Ethical AI provide a broader ethical framework ensuring AI respects fundamental human and labor rights, while the Ten Principles for Workers’ Data Rights focus specifically on protecting workers’ data privacy and agency within AI ecosystems. Together, they underscore the need for ethical AI frameworks that are worker-centric, promoting AI fairness, accountability, and data rights in employment contexts.
UNI Global Union's Top Ten Principles for Ethical AI are intended for unions, shop stewards, and workers, aiming to guide them in their interactions with AI-related issues and to safeguard their interests. The document can be incorporated into collective agreements, industrial policies, and Global Framework Agreements, addressing emerging challenges posed by AI in work environments and empowering workers regarding their data and AI impacts.
In summary, the UNI Global Union's Top Ten Principles for Ethical AI and the Ten Principles for Workers' Data Rights serve as essential guidelines in the pursuit of ethical and fair AI applications in the workplace, prioritizing workers' rights, data privacy, and agency in AI-driven environments.
The UNI Global Union's Top Ten Principles for Ethical AI, rooted in promoting fairness, accountability, and transparency, also prioritize the protection of workers from biases and discrimination in AI decision-making. In parallel, the Ten Principles for Workers' Data Rights emphasize the importance of workers' control, access, and understanding of their data, particularly in AI-driven workplaces. These principles jointly advocate for ethical AI frameworks that prioritize workers' rights, data privacy, and agency in the era of artificial intelligence.
