THEMATIC AREAS
This thematic area examines the steps countries have taken to protect workers’ rights with specific regard to the risks AI poses to them, adapting to the increasing use of AI in the labor force.
Labor protections are broadly defined as the ‘protection of employment conditions, working conditions, and labor welfare as well as occupational safety, health and environmental conditions provided for an employee’.
Country and regional scores
Bright spots
Goverment Frameworks - Kazakhstan
Government actions - Spain
Non-state actors - Belgium
Relevance
Labor protections should encompass all components of the AI life cycle and value chain, starting from the extraction of mineral resources (e.g., copper, aluminum, zinc, nickel, iron, titanium, quartz, and polymer) needed to develop AI components. This includes the conceptualization and design phases of AI systems, as well as the development and training of algorithmic models through data collection, classification, and variable selection. Integrating labor protections within the AI lifecycle and value chain framework fosters a more inclusive discussion on the necessary protections for those involved in AI development and production, countering the tendency to focus solely on rights implications during AI deployment and management.
EVIDENCE
Evidence Explorer
Discover and compare all all the evidence collected under this thematic area using our Evidence Explorer tool
SCORES
Country rankings by Labor protection and right to work
*In the table above, data was collected for Chinese Taipei (commonly referred to as Taiwan) and the West Bank, which is under the administration of the Palestinian Authority. No data collection took place in Gaza. We recognize that these are, at the time of writing, disputed jurisdictions.
