OECD finds workplace AI safeguards lag behind adoption policies

Government policies supporting AI adoption and specialist skills are more developed than workplace safeguards addressing privacy, transparency and accountability, according to a new OECD review.

The report examines policies in G7 countries, the European Union, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico across six areas: automation, productivity, skills and opportunities; privacy and data protection; non-discrimination; occupational safety and health; transparency, explainability and accountability; and social dialogue.

All countries covered by the review promote AI adoption through national strategies, while nearly all provide targeted support for small and medium-sized enterprises. However, relatively few measures support employees who remain in jobs highly exposed to AI-related disruption.

Among the G7, all seven countries have national AI strategies and measures supporting adoption by smaller businesses. Only three provide targeted assistance to workers exposed to AI, while two have measures aimed specifically at vulnerable groups.

All surveyed countries provide reskilling and upskilling programmes, but most concentrate on specialist technical skills rather than the general AI literacy required by the wider workforce. Governments are also increasingly using AI in public employment services to personalise support and improve job matching.

The report cites an earlier OECD estimate that 27% of employment across member countries is in occupations at high risk of automation from AI and other technologies. It also draws on previous OECD surveys in which four in five workers using AI said it improved their performance.

Existing legal frameworks provide comparatively broad coverage of non-discrimination and occupational safety and health. However, the application of privacy and data-protection rules to workers is not always clear, while transparency, explainability and accountability frequently remain broad principles rather than detailed workplace requirements.

Most reviewed countries require or encourage employers to tell workers when AI systems are being used, but protections differ for employees, job applicants and platform workers. Frameworks also vary in their provisions for human oversight, documentation and challenges to automated decisions.

The OECD said employers, workers and their representatives could benefit from practical tools such as sector-specific guidance, case studies and self-assessment instruments. It also highlighted social dialogue and collective bargaining as ways to translate policy requirements into workplace practices and address implementation problems.

Why does it matter?

Support for AI adoption without equally practical worker protections risks leaving employees unable to understand or challenge decisions affecting recruitment, monitoring, performance and dismissal. The review shows that governments must address not only displaced workers but also those who remain employed while AI reshapes their tasks and working conditions.

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