The Government is not “envisaging” public sector job displacement because of artificial intelligence (AI), the Taoiseach has said.
Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers staged a nationwide strike on Wednesday as part of a dispute with Government over pay. The industrial action coincided with an international summit on AI in Dublin, staged by Government as a key feature of its Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Transformative impact on the economy
Speaking to reporters at the conference, Micheál Martin said AI will have a “transformative impact” on the economy. The International Monetary Fund has warned that 40% to 60% of jobs will be “exposed” to the technology in advanced economies – ranging from being eliminated to being “enhanced”.
Meanwhile, the Government is currently involved in offering training to thousands of exposed workers. Asked if State intervention for potentially displaced employees would be limited to education or would extend to social welfare supports, Mr Martin said: “That’s an open question still, in terms of displacement.
“Certainly, within the public service, we’re not envisaging that. What we are envisaging is there will be a transformative impact, but very often that can be mean changing of roles, redeployment, assuming new roles within the public service – so, we’re not necessarily looking at displacement.”
Forum with trade unions
He added: “We’re bringing in trade unions and other stakeholders to create a forum to discuss this because – in some instances, some work functions may not survive AI – but other additional work functions will come. We’ve seen this with technology before, so I think there’s an open question on that at the moment but we’re certainly looking at the more opportunity side of it than the negative side.”
Enterprise Minister Peter Burke said the IMF had, on another occasion, pointed out Ireland’s “established tech sector” and “very significant skills capability”.
Training vulnerable workers
However, on jobs displacement, Mr Burke said: “We know where there are vulnerable cohorts of workers that potentially could get displaced in relation to AI. But what you do is you get there, train them, be ahead of the curve, and that’s what the State is at right now.
“And critically, in establishing our AI Cabinet subcommittee that will again monitor that training, monitor those key vulnerable sectors, and try to ensure that where there is technology that outpaces traditional roles, that those workers are freed up to look at areas where you can have additional productivity and revenue growth for so many exciting companies.”
