AI for a More Human Friendly Workplace Recovery After COVID-19

For many workers the world of work changed almost overnight when in early 2020 we had to switch to remote working due to COVID-19 lock down measures of governments. While remote working felt revolutionary for many, when considered in the world of automation, it is just the tip of the “iceberg”. An increasing number of scholars in economics, politics, and labour law argue that we are at the brink of a fundamental change in the evolving relationship between people and technology. So far this has resulted in responses in legal doctrine and by legislators of a “risk-based approach”. In this contribution, we will explore a yet rarely frequented path: one which focuses on the positive aspects automation has to offer and how it can help us create a more human-friendly workplace, including new forms of regulation based on safeguarding and fostering (new) twenty-first-century fundamental labour values.