Arlozorov Forum: National AI Plan Not Prepared for Labor Market Impacts

The Arlozorov Forum, the research and policy institute of the Histadrut, calls on the government to establish a roundtable with the state, workers, and employers within the national AI headquarters. The forum warns that the national AI plan lacks adequate preparation for human capital training and proper regulation, and could deepen gaps, harm rights, and concentrate profits in the hands of a few.

The Arlozorov Forum, the research and policy institute of the Histadrut, calls on the government to establish a roundtable with the participation of the state, the Histadrut, and employers within the national AI headquarters. In a letter sent by the forum to the chair of the subcommittee on artificial intelligence, MK Orit Farkash-Hacohen, about a month ago, it was written that advancing the national AI plan without involving workers and employers may fail to realize the economic and social potential of AI, and could even widen skill gaps and deepen inequality among workers. In the letter, signed by Alon Marcus and Shai Weinblum, they welcomed government decision 4255 but emphasized that the plan does not include adequate preparation for adapting and training human capital in Israel, nor does it include proper regulation to ensure inclusive growth. The forum proposes that the roundtable map risks and opportunities, examine regulatory responses from other countries, formulate skill forecasts, develop pilots, and monitor the effects of technology on employment, wages, productivity, and inequality. The forum also demands the renewal of the employers' administration and human capital development, the formulation of a framework for responsible use of AI in the workplace, and the establishment of a binding government procedure for implementing AI systems in the public service. The forum points to a wage gap of about 27% between the public and private sectors in 2023, and warns of the lack of an organized database to track the effects of AI on the labor market.