A senior Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) official is warning that artificial intelligence (AI) and platform-based employment are rapidly transforming the world of work and could leave workers vulnerable unless stronger protections are put in place.

Speaking at the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, BWU Communications and Information Manager Cheyne Jones said the rise of AI-managed labour was no longer a future concern but a reality already affecting workers around the globe.

“The boss is a notification. The workplace is an app. The payslip is an equation. The disciplinary hearing is a blank screen that says, ‘account deactivated’,” Jones told delegates.