Concern 835 · Working draft · editorial review in progress
Consumer and worker representation
Weak consumer and worker representation can leave AI rules and workplace decisions focused on the people buying or selling systems rather than those living with their effects.
Understanding the concern
A worker may understand a scheduling problem that a software supplier never sees. A consumer group may notice that a complaint process is unusable. These forms of knowledge can be missing when participation requires unpaid time, specialist language or access to decision-makers. Representation matters before deployment as well as after harm.
ILO case studies show ways worker representatives have influenced AI adoption and working conditions. Think of redesigning a bus route without asking passengers or drivers. The goal is not to assume all groups agree, but to make their knowledge and interests part of the decision with enough time and support to matter.
An example
A workplace introduces AI performance scores without involving employees who know which tasks the score fails to capture.
Illustrative unless identified as a documented case.
Words in plain English
- AI
- Software that learns patterns from examples or uses rules to perform tasks such as recognizing images or generating text. It can make mistakes and does not understand every situation as a person would.
Evidence and its limits
The case studies demonstrate approaches to worker participation. They do not measure all consumer representation or prove that consultation always resolves a conflict.
Doellgast and colleagues · ILO 2025 · Working paper and case studies
Global case studies of social dialogue on AI and algorithmic management ↗ (opens in a new tab)Examples of worker representation influencing AI adoption and conditions. Not a randomized estimate of all consultation outcomes.
Broader frameworks and background
These resources provide context. They do not establish every claim in this concern.
A question to discuss
Who represents the people being assessed, and what power do they have to question or change the system?
Keep track of different views, what needs checking, and any next step in your own discussion notes.
Open discussion notes →Principles for the conversation
Before you finish · reflect together
Virtues and principles to consider
Virtues are qualities we practice in how we treat people and make choices. They are not scores for judging someone. Use these ideas to explore what a thoughtful response could look like.
Accountability
Accountability means being answerable for decisions and taking responsibility for repair. It requires more than saying that the software made the choice.
Name the person or team responsible, keep useful records, and give them authority to correct problems. Make the route to a complaint clear to the people affected.
Ask together: Who will answer for the outcome and help put things right?
Prudence
Prudence means using careful judgment before and during action. It balances worthwhile opportunities with the need to avoid harm that could have been anticipated.
Start with a limited trial, set stopping points, and prefer choices that can be undone when uncertainty is high. Review what happens rather than assuming the original plan remains sound.
Ask together: What is a careful next step, and when should we stop or change course?
Unity
Unity means working toward shared purposes while making room for real differences. It does not require everyone to have the same experience, beliefs, or opinion.
Look for a goal people can share, then explore disagreements about how to reach it. Make sure quieter or less powerful voices can influence the result.
Ask together: What purpose can we share while respecting our differences?
Editorial ratings
These are editorial judgments from the register, not measured probabilities or predictions about your situation.
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