China Tells Agencies to Cushion the Job Losses From AI
New State Council guidelines call for monitoring employment risks, retraining displaced workers, and cracking down on algorithmic abuses like hiring discrimination.
BEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - China's cabinet, the State Council, urged government agencies to effectively mitigate job displacement caused by artificial intelligence applications, according to guidelines issued on Friday on AI and employment.
• Authorities should improve their systems for monitoring employment risks linked to AI and develop contingency plans for responding to such risks, the guidelines say
• The government should provide support for job transitions and re-employment when it comes to AI projects that could cause significant disruption to the job market, the guidelines say
• The guidelines call for enhancing AI's positive effects on employment, such as creating new job opportunities and improving job quality
• The government should offer targeted career guidance, skills training and job recommendations to workers displaced by AI, according to the guidelines
• The guidelines also call for regulating the application of AI in human-resources management and addressing illegal practices stemming from the misuse of algorithms, such as discrimination, fraudulent recruitment and privacy infringement
(Reporting by Yukun Zhang, Xiuhao Chen and Andrew Silver; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Xevi Fontdegloria)
