Professionals, artificial intelligence can adjust your pay

Fair remuneration, professionals, artificial intelligence: these issues are also covered in the draft Legislative Decree, presented yesterday to the Council of Ministers, has begun to shed light on these issues. Paragraph 1 of Article 48 establishes, in fact, the principle that the use of AI systems may entail an adjustment of fair remuneration in accordance with Law 49/2023, an adjustment linked to the risk classification of the AI system employed: the higher it is, the more it requires the professional to possess additional skills that justify an adjustment to the remuneration.

Welcoming the anthropocentric approach of the measure, the President of the National Council of Chartered Accountants and Accounting Experts, Elbano de Nuccio, adds that the reference to the need to update the parameters for professional fees is particularly significant, not least in light of the use of AI. ‘AI technologies do not diminish the value of the service, but transform the way it is delivered, requiring advanced skills, greater control, supervision and accountability. It is essential that the adjustment of the parameters takes into account the actual professional content of the services, avoiding any automatic mechanisms that could lead to a race to the bottom,” explains de Nuccio.

The rapid evolution of AI use in forensic work – one in three lawyers already uses it for professional purposes – does not detract from what remains at the heart of a lawyer’s expertise. ‘It is the signature on the legal document that matters and confirms the assumption of responsibility as a lawyer’, comments Francesco Greco, president of the National Bar Council, who is cautious regarding the legislative process for the bill but says he is ready to engage in dialogue with the Ministry of Justice to update the legal parameters. “AI, which is used primarily to deepen and refine research, cannot and must not interfere with remuneration. The principle of our legal system is freedom of action: it is therefore necessary to protect intellectual work so as not to fall into standardisation.”

Labour consultants, on the other hand, are highlighting the need to build up a well-considered set of skills. ‘We note with satisfaction that national and EU institutions have sought to provide continuity in the regulation of the use of artificial intelligence, something that did not happen in the past with the advent of the internet,’ explains Rosario De Luca, president of the National Council of the Order of Labour Consultants. “The new regulations contain provisions that we support and which promote the responsible use of AI both in the provision of professional services and in the calculation of fees. But to use it effectively, training is essential.”

Their approach to integrating the tool remains cautious but never dismissive: “Being specialists in labour relations management allows us to act as AI supervisors in business contexts and to best guide employers’ decisions,” concludes De Luca, “paying attention to algorithm transparency , the protection of personal data and ensuring that no discrimination is created.”