“The advent of artificial intelligence must not turn into a nightmare for workers, nor a convenient excuse for multinationals seeking to cut staff to boost profits. The digital transition must be managed by putting people, work culture and its social value back at the centre.” This was declared by Paolo Capone, General Secretary of UGL, commenting on the news of the 5,000 job cuts announced by Barclays as part of a reorganisation plan linked to artificial intelligence and increased profitability.
“While it is natural that some repetitive tasks are absorbed by automation,” Capone adds, “new technologies must represent a development engine and a concrete stimulus for the creation of new professional figures. To win this challenge, there is only one recipe: to intervene with active policies massively investing in lifelong training and workforce reskilling. No one should be left behind; companies and institutions have the duty to accompany workers in this epochal change, providing them with tools to manage and govern machines, not to be replaced by them,” he concludes.
Sources and documents
Document date or reference period: Original statement provided to the editorial office.
Original statement by Paolo Capone provided to the editorial office. Text published in full, without changes to the content.
