Managers take centre stage in a pact for employment

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) – Ageing and demographic decline, on the one hand, and artificial intelligence, on the other, are the two changes set to radically alter the way we understand work. This is the firm belief of Ciro Cafiero, a labour lawyer and Chair of the Consultancy, Professional Activities and Training Section at Unindustria, who emphasises that ‘in the face of these two major changes, employers, businesses and trade unions must stand as allies. Because the challenge affects us all equally, and it is to remain human, to preserve human sustainability – both within and outside the workplace – in the face of phenomena that put it at risk’.

An alliance which, in practical terms, translates first and foremost into the ability to govern rather than be governed. ‘Artificial intelligence could replace human intelligence, but it could also be governed by it; that is why it is a matter of governance,’ explains Cafiero. ‘In companies today, there are already two types of intelligence, whereas until recently our labour law and our businesses were accustomed to human intelligence being the sole force in command. AI must be governed according to the ‘human-in-the-loop’ principle, recognising human frailty, particularly in view of the demographic winter.’ This is where the two disruptive changes converge: ‘focusing on “active ageing”, that is, reconciling the needs of businesses with those of workers over 50. I don’t call them the “silver” generation but the “wises”: the wise ones!’

Equally crucial when considering the younger generations is the need to attract and retain talent, against a backdrop of a declining population and the differing needs of the younger generations, who seek a balance between work, career, private life and wellbeing. ‘Retaining talent means creating the best possible conditions within companies so that the few young people who remain – after accounting for those who leave the country, those who are not born here and those who choose not to work – can find a genuine sense of belonging within the company’s ethos. Today, this is a cultural issue: we need a new humanism in the workplace,” he adds.

Technology and demography are also intertwined in this respect. ‘Artificial intelligence faces two paradoxes: Jevons’ paradox and Maverick’s paradox. What is happening? Initially, AI ends up replacing the intellectual jobs that gave rise to it. In the long term, however, demand expands again and, consequently, businesses will start to re-hire people who bring with them the creative work that had initially been replaced,’ argues Ciro Cafiero. For this to happen, ‘those workers – the workers of the future who are today’s engineers – will have to adapt to new skills. I do not take a pessimistic view of AI, but I do believe, however, that everything depends on dialogue within companies – between employer and employee, as well as between the different generations working within the organisation, of which there are now, for the first time in history, five coexisting simultaneously.”

This is an even more central issue, given that competitiveness also depends on the ability to forge a new relationship between businesses and people, based on trust, professional development, quality leadership and the recognition of differences.