Around 5 million Filipinos in danger of losing jobs due to AI

National

THE emergence of the advanced technology of artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to be a threat to some workers as their jobs are at risk of being replaced by AI.

According to the labor group Federation of Free Workers (FFW), business process outsourcing and manufacturing sectors are a few of the affected industries since AI is starting to prevail in the business operations.

FFW vice president Julius Cainglet cited the projection of the International Monetary Fund, stating that up to 14 percent of the labor force is in threat because of AI.

“We assume that the job losses from AI would not happen in one go,” the FFW said in a statement.

It added that women will be the greatly affected gender of job losses.

AI exposure varies by gender, with approximately half of all jobs held by women highly exposed, compared to a quarter by men,” the report said.

Aside from AI, climate change may also lead to job loss.

With the expected typhoons to be experienced this year, several workers in the agriculture sector may lose their jobs.

“It is almost certain that super typhoons will hit the country again and result in the same job losses, adding to risks to employment posed by heat stress by the end of the first quarter,” Cainglet said in a Philippine Star report.

FFW feared that around five million Filipinos would have their work in grave peril.

Furthermore, the foreign investment contributed little to generating jobs as investors were hesitant to pour investment in the country due to the high electricity demand.

Last year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) noted that Filipinos are already losing their jobs because of AI with some workers being replaced by this kind of advanced technology.

To address this growing threat, the labor group urged the government to double the effort and engage employers in a social dialogue and make actions that would generate more jobs for Filipinos.(LAO)