The Trade Unions Congress, the largest trade union in the UK, has released a warning that the government is failing to protect workers from being ‘exploited by new AI technologies.

The warning comes as politicians, tech leaders, regulators, and unions meet for the TUC AI conference in London.

According to the TUC, AI is ‘transforming’ the way people work and the way in which they are managed.

While the government has recently released a whitepaper with guidance on how to handle the rapidly evolving technology, the trade union has said this simply does not go far enough to protect workers.

AI-powered technologies have been found to be making “high-risk, life changing” decisions about workers lives, according to TUC research. These decisions include line-managing, hiring, and firing of staff.

Further, AI is being used to analyse facial expressions, tone of voice, and accents to assess candidates’ suitability for roles.

Left unchecked, the TUC warns that AI could lead to greater discrimination at work across the economy.

The TUC has warned that many workers are being kept in the dark about how AI is being used to make decisions that directly affect them.

Polling data from the trade union published last year revealed that a clear majority want stronger regulation of new technology at work.

72% of workers fear that without careful regulation, using technology to make decisions about workers could increase unfair treatment.

As well, 82% now support a legal requirement to consult before introducing monitoring, and 77% support no monitoring outside of working hours, suggesting a strong support for the right to disconnect.

To support these findings, the TUC says employers must disclose to workers how AI is being used in the workplace to make decisions about them.

And it said that every worker should be entitled to a human review of decisions made by AI systems so they can challenge decisions that are unfair and discriminatory.

Overall, the TUC says that ministers are refusing to put in place the necessary “guardrails” to safeguard workers’ rights.

The union body said that last month’s AI white paper was a dismal failure with the government providing only vague guidance to regulators on how to ensure AI is used ethically at work, and no additional capacity or resource to cope with rising demand.

Further, the TUC also criticised the new Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, saying the legislation is already setting a “worrying direction of travel” for data rights.

The TUC has said the bill will “dilute” certain rights currently guaranteed under GDPR, including those that provide workers with protections against automated decision making, and would give workers and unions a say over the introduction of new technologies through an impact assessment process.

Speaking ahead of the conference, TUC Assistant General Secretary Kate Bell said: “AI is going to transform the way millions work in this country and is already being used across the economy to line-manage, and hire and fire staff.

“Without fair rules, this could lead to widespread discrimination and unfair treatment at work.

“But the government is refusing to put in place the necessary guardrails to stop people from being exploited.

“Instead of clear and enforceable protections, ministers have issued a series of vague and flimsy commitments that are not worth the paper they are written on. And they have failed to provide regulators with the resources they need to do their jobs properly.

“It’s essential that employment law keeps pace with the AI revolution. But last month’s dismal AI white paper spectacularly failed to do that.”

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Commenting on the government’s data bill, Kate added: “The government is setting a worrying direction of travel.

“On the one hand ministers are refusing to properly regulate AI. And on the other hand, they are watering down important protections through the data bill.

“This will leave workers more vulnerable to unscrupulous employers.”

Robin Allen KC, Leading AI and employment rights lawyer, said: “More money, more expertise, more cross-regulatory working, more urgent interventions, more control of AI: without these it will not be just a race to the bottom for workers’ rights, the whole idea of any rights at work will become illusory.”