Dr. Laura Bambrick:

With regard to the AI Act, as we said in our opening statement the proposal put forward by the Commission was very disappointing from a worker's perspective. The amendments, though not agreed yet by the Council, offer some comfort and are welcome but we still do not believe they go far enough. The European Parliament's text, which has yet to be agreed, does state the AI Act should, in any case, not prevent the Commission from proposing specific legislation on the rights and freedoms of workers affected by AI systems. The European Trade Union Confederation is proposing a dedicated directive that is looking at the use of AI in the workplace. We can see from the conversation we have had today that this is a vast topic. Often, it goes beyond the workplace because it has to be considered in the round before drilling down to consider the workplace. In viewing the AI Act, we look first at the macro level and then at the micro level. One of the major concerns over the AI Act is that it allows the software providers to self-assess the level of risk, which is significantly high. As was asked today, how is that done before putting the software on the market? We really have concerns about the shortcomings of the legislation. The AI Act is important and a first step but it will not deliver for workers.