GENEVA, Switzerland / RankWire.AI / – A new working paper from the International Labour Organization says international labour standards can help guide the responsible use of artificial intelligence at work. The study argues that the ILO’s long-standing rules offer a practical reference point as AI spreads into hiring, management and performance reviews. It was published on October 23 as ILO Working Paper 182. ILO researchers Jordi Agustí-Panareda and Daniel Samaan wrote the paper, titled AI Ethics and the ILO’s international labour standards system: exploring synergies.
The researchers note that many AI ethics guidelines have emerged in recent years. Most remain broad and voluntary, however, and offer limited guidance for specific workplace situations. The paper says the ILO framework can show how ethical principles apply to concrete cases in the world of work. It maps those principles against the ILO Constitution, the Declaration of Philadelphia and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The ILO describes the study as an exploratory comparative analysis.
An earlier ILO review of 245 AI ethics guidelines found that few explicitly referred to the ILO or international labour standards. That review, published in November 2025, found that the world of work did not emerge as a distinct theme. Links to fundamental rights at work were mostly implicit. The new paper builds on those gaps by testing where the two sets of values meet. Concern over the impact of AI on jobs has sharpened that debate in many countries.
Five AI principles tested against labour rights
The study compares five widely recognised AI ethics principles with the ethical foundations of the ILO’s normative framework. These are justice, beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and explicability. The researchers found strong convergence on justice, beneficence and non-maleficence. Shared ground includes fairness, human dignity, well-being and the prevention of harm. The paper says this makes the ILO framework a coherent and legitimate reference point for ethical AI in labour settings. It also found clear differences in focus.
AI ethics frameworks tend to emphasise individual autonomy, privacy and transparency. The ILO framework adds collective rights, including freedom of association, collective bargaining and social dialogue. The paper notes that these collective dimensions are often missing from mainstream AI ethics debates. Yet they matter for deciding how new technologies are introduced and governed at work. The ILO brings together governments, employers and workers in a tripartite structure. The authors see that model as a useful input to AI governance.
Data, surveillance and algorithmic management in focus
The paper also examines new questions AI raises for labour standards. These include the collection and use of workers’ personal data and algorithmic management. Workplace surveillance and the transparency of AI-assisted employment decisions are also on the list. When AI screens job applicants or evaluates performance, workers need to know how decisions are made and which data were used. The authors say this is essential for accountability and a fair process. Australia is among the countries that have recently set up a dedicated AI office.
The authors argue that AI ethics and international labour standards can reinforce one another. Established labour rights can help shape the governance of AI in workplaces. Emerging AI principles, in turn, can inform how labour standards are applied as technologies evolve. The ILO, founded in 1919, is a United Nations agency with 187 member states. The researchers call for further research and dialogue on labour-specific AI governance. They say the goal is a human-centred approach to technological change at work.