Artificial Intelligence and Transformation of Labour Market in Portugal: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities

Together with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Portugal, we organised a stimulating debate and film screening about Artificial Intelligence and the transformation of the job market on 10.10.2023 in Lisbon. Our special thanks to the moderator João Ribeiro (Director of Shifter) and speakers Nuno Boavida (CICS.NOVA) and Aldo Montesano (film director) for the good collaboration!

• Date: 10 October 2023
• Venue: Heden Santa Apolónia
• Language: Portuguese, English
• Partner: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Portugal
• With the participation of João Ribeiro (director of the magazine Shifter), Aldo Montesano (film director),  Dr. Nuno Boavida (academic researcher working in the intersection of technology and work) and António Dias Martins (Startup Portugal)

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Context

Rapid advances in the development and adoption ofArtificial Intelligence (AI) technologies provide new opportunities, but also raise fears about disruptive labourmarket and workplace transitions. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2025, AI is expected to automate 75 million jobs globally, while creating 133 million new jobsin their place.

The automation of existing jobs and the acceleration of advanced technologies can exacerbate inequality, leadingto the so-called `digital divide` between regions, industries and groups of workers. In June 2019, the Portuguese Government presented the national strategyAI Portugal 2030 to set out challenges and opportunitiesof the growing AI ecosystem in Portugal. Portugal has a dual labour market where a large share of workers –young people, in particular – is employed on temporary contracts and thus face higher job insecurity, lower job quality and fewer education and training opportunities. In fact the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) reveals that 26% of the Portuguese population in 2019 possessed no digital skills (9% in the EU as a whole) and that 52% had only basic digital skills (58% on average in the EU).

Shaping our digital future has also become a priority of the EU: in June 2023, the European Parliament passed the Artificial Intelligence Act (the “EU AI Act”), the world`s first comprehensive AI law and without doubt an important milestone in order to address the complex questions that come across with the usage of AI.