CEC European Managers Engages in Eurofound Webinar
On the same day that Ursula von der Leyen announced 200,000 million for European Artificial Intelligence, Eurofound organised an engaging webinar on its effects on the working world.
CEC European Managers actively participated in Eurofound LIVE: How is AI Changing the World of Work in Europe? by raising a question during the session curated by Eurofound in collaboration with the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop).
The event provided insights and relevant data on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the European labour market and its implications for job security, skills development, and workplace management.
The discussion featured Mary McCaughey, Head of Information and Communication at Eurofound, Dragoș Adăscăliței, Research Officer at Eurofound, and Jasper Van Loo, Department Coordinator at Cedefop.
The panel explored AI’s impact on various industries, job structures, and strategies to ensure an inclusive and fair digital transition.
Managers Debate on AI Bias
During the webinar, CEC European Managers raised concerns regarding AI bias and the regulatory measures needed to address it. This intervention aligned with the launch of CEC European Managers’ #BeyondBias campaign just a few hours before.
The campaign seeks to raise awareness about biases in AI systems and their consequences for workforce management, recruitment, and HR practices with 20 practical recommendations based on the available evidence.
Download the position paper here [+]
In response to CEC’s inquiry, Jasper Van Loo acknowledged that AI biases can lead to discrimination and poor workforce management, emphasizing the necessity for transparency and accountability in AI-driven decision-making.
Dragoș Adăscăliței further elaborated on the European AI Act’s regulatory framework, which mandates that humans must supervise AI-driven decisions impacting workers and that AI systems undergo audits to mitigate biases in data processing.
Experts added that while true generative AI has led to job losses in specific sectors like translation, evidence suggests that the broader trend in Europe points toward job transformation rather than widespread job destruction. A fact that was also appointed by CEC European Managers’ position paper on AI.
With labour shortages, AI is increasingly viewed as a tool to enhance productivity rather than replace human workers.
According to Cedefop, most employees remain cautiously optimistic. Research shows that only one in five workers fear full job displacement due to AI, whereas three in five believe AI can assist them in their tasks, allowing them to focus on more strategic work.
AI adoption varies significantly across Europe, with Denmark leading at 33% of companies integrating AI, while Romania lags with less than 10%. A growing majority—61% of workers—acknowledge the need for additional AI-related training to stay competitive in an evolving job market.
It may seem like Artificial Intelligence, if not well implemented, may lead to regional inequalities. For example, in Belgium, 1 in 2 workers claims to be using more AI than last year, but only 1 in 4 workers says so in Spain.
Only one in five workers fears full job displacement due to AI.
Eurofound
On the employers’ side, speakers pointed out that AI presents more significant risks for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) than for larger corporations.
Larger corporations are at the forefront of AI implementation, with nearly 30% of businesses with more than 250 employees using AI. Meanwhile, SMEs struggle to keep pace due to resource constraints, risking a widening digital divide in the European business landscape.
Nearly 30% of companies with more than 250 employees use AI.
One of the most pressing concerns discussed was the increasing reliance on Algorithmic Management, which raises issues of transparency and accountability. AI-powered decision-making systems often operate as ‘black boxes,’ leaving workers uncertain about how their performance is assessed and managers skeptical of automated workforce coordination.
This lack of transparency can heighten stress levels and erode trust between employees and leadership.
At the end of the webinar, the environmental cost of AI was also addressed, as experts underscored its significant energy consumption. Policymakers face the challenge of balancing technological advancement with sustainability, ensuring that AI integration does not come at an excessive ecological cost.
Panelists emphasized that Europe must prioritize skills, skills, skills to bridge the AI knowledge gap, alongside ensuring job quality, job quality, job quality to fully harness AI’s potential.
CEC European Managers remains committed to advocating for ethical AI deployment that promotes fairness, inclusivity, and professional growth.
Through initiatives like #BeyondBias, and the work carried out by our Working Group in Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, led by President Maxime Legrand, CEC continues to shape the conversation on the responsible use of AI in the workplace, ensuring that managers and workers alike benefit from technological progress without sacrificing human-centered values.
