Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already here, and it is rapidly transforming industries across the globe. This paper examines the impact of AI on the socio-political rights of people worldwide, with particular attention to the issue of job loss.
Automation is not a new concept. Its roots can be traced back to the introduction of machines into industries during the Second and Third Industrial Revolutions. However, the automation introduced by Artificial Intelligence represents a higher and more complex level of technological advancement.
AI now undertakes risky tasks for humans in sectors such as the manufacturing industry, mining, and even the military. Its versatility allows it to be applied in virtually every sector of modern society. Yet, with the increasing rate of technological unemployment caused by automation, the significance and implications of Artificial Intelligence have become a subject of global controversy.
This research adopts a desk-based doctrinal methodology to examine the socio-economic human rights implications in the era of automation. The study finds that while AI will create new jobs, an analysis of existing research reveals a large disparity between the number of jobs created by AI and those lost to automation, thereby posing serious threats to socio-economic human rights.
Furthermore, the research discovers that the new jobs created by AI will primarily demand highly technical skills and knowledge, limiting employment opportunities for unskilled and semi-skilled workers. This will likely lead to deskilling and declining wages among certain segments of the workforce.
The study recommends that legislative measures be enacted to regulate and control the use of AI technologies, thereby allowing governments sufficient time to address and balance the inequalities arising from AI-driven transformation. Additionally, technical skills acquisition programs and the introduction of a robot tax are proposed as policy options that can help nations cope with the rapid advancement and economic disruptions associated with Artificial Intelligence.
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