Estimate delegates, dear colleagues,

We are not quietly entering the future of work. We are being pulled into it, loud, fast, and irreversible.

I would say: “Welcome to the Machine.¹”

But today, the so called machine is not something we enter. It is something we (should) shape and work with, every day.

Artificial intelligence.

Digital systems.

Automation.

Robots²/cobots.

This is not a distant future world³. This is now.

And yes, there is uncertainty. “So much for the golden future…⁴”, that could be the voice of many workers today. Overwhelmed. Uncertain. Feeling like “a man who walks alone… walking a dark road⁵.” Ambiguous, unmapped… Fear also of algoritmic management, fear of “Digital Dictators⁶”.

But let’s be clear. Do we see disruption? Or do we seize opportunity? What is our strategy? At home, at the ILO? Bear in mind the Pareto principle comes into play when dealing with opportunities and threats. Spending efforts on threats and challenges is likely to only yield a 20% result. Therefore, focus the scarce resources on grasping opportunities.

Those who resist digital transformation and AI will struggle. We must not stop because of fear. This house should not be a “Fear Factory⁷”. This is not “Computerize God, it’s the new religion. Program the brain, not the heartbeat⁸”. No, we need to transform fear into power. Because this transformation is not about replacing humans. It is about reinventing what it means to be human at work. AI does not eliminate value. It shifts value.

• from routine → to insight
• from repetition → to creativity
• from execution → to judgement

Those who embrace it will:

• design instead of execute
• lead instead of follow
• create instead of repeat

The machine plays rhythm, but humans take the solo.

That dark road is also where opportunity lies. “The truth is waiting there for you to find it⁹”. And AI helps us find answers — faster, deeper, better.

Not fear. But adaptation.

Not resistance. But ambition.

Machines calculate faster, they process more, they never sleep. But they do not decide what matters. “Open mind for a different view… and nothing else matters¹⁰”. That should be the new mindset.

In a world driven by AI, curiosity beats certainty, adaptability beats stability, learning equals or beats knowing. This is not the end of work. It is the upgrade of work!

It’s about machines and AI extending us. AI writes with us, analyzes for us. Sees patterns we never could. Not a threat, but a second guitar in the band.

I hear voices screaming “Man is obsolete! Our world, obsolete!¹¹” Absolutely not… The future worker is not replaced but remastered.

• creativity becomes strategy
• judgement becomes leadership
• collaboration becomes the core riff

AI is not the machine. It is the amplifier. It allows:

• a small team to think globally
• a worker to design, analyze, decide in one flow
• knowledge to scale beyond hierarchy

We move from repetition to interpretation, from simple execution to orchestration. In a world where up to entire job tasks can shift, our advantage becomes what cannot be automated: purpose, imagination, decision.

So, the danger is not AI. The danger is standing still!

The world of work is not collapsing. It is evolving—fast, loud, and unforgiving. The question is not whether AI will shape the future of work. The question is: Will you be part of the band on stage…or just part of the background noise?

Artificial intelligence is a mirror that reflects humanity. If we don’t like what we see, we have to change ourselves, not the AI.¹² So, let’s refrain from regulations hindering instead of supporting innovation, Let’s avoid complexity and duplication. The framework and principles we already have at the ILO (anti-discrimination, OSH, inclusion, etc.) are fit for use in the AI era. Instead, put social dialogue at the center! The Director General’s report underscores that social dialogue is there to build trust, anticipate risks, and facilitate the design and implementation of AI systems and digital technology while supporting smoother transitions in the labour market.

Let’s focus on social dialogue to discuss and:

• Shape AI as a driver of productivity, growth and enterprise development (last year my minister of work, who spoke just before me today, had a meeting with colleagues from India and others and that are fully committed to investing in AI as driver for growth, job creation and formalization of jobs).
• Shape AI as a driver for job quality
• Shape AI as a driver for skills and employability
• Shape AI as a driver for inclusion and formality

A genuine social dialogue in all its’ forms that is, and of course where the autonomy and representativeness of social partners is respected. Also, one that preserves managerial autonomy, and allows the flexibility required for enterprises to innovate and adapt effectively.

Dear colleagues,

The world of work hums louder than ever.
Not the rhythm of metal on metal¹³,
But the pulse of algorithms, data streams, and connectivity.
Some hear only noise. Others hear a crushing riff.
We stand at the edge of something vast,
A machine revolution of our own making,
Where artificial intelligence is not the enemy,
But the amplifier.
The only choice left:
Will you fade to black¹⁴, get caught in a feedback loop,
Or will you rise, “Stronger than All¹⁵”?

Let’s begin seizing tomorrow today!

I THANK YOU!

References:
1. Pink Floyd – Welcome to the Machine (https://youtu.be/Jh20cMEgvqc?si=j1xkfo35oJH9j7mL)
2. Kraftwerk – The Robots (https://youtu.be/D_8Pma1vHmw?si=lZORH89vUpao2UyP)
3. Pretty Maids – Future World (https://youtu.be/fiX_931OCog?si=Ic3Yc221uV0CHZZw)
4. Judas Priest – Breaking The Law (https://youtu.be/L397TWLwrUU?si=SEE9kELmDDI1C_d1)
5. Iron Maiden – Fear of the Dark (https://youtu.be/s6bjEsBdIAc?si=aNSoz3NQO9LDI7f_)
6. Vicious Rumors – Digital Dictator (https://youtu.be/veH8Dt1OwIs?si=bC37Bv7lv6V3N7nT)
7. Fear Factory – Replica (https://youtu.be/7RJsRQOneMY?si=yyVPG3ItgzvbnDU_)
8. Black Sabbath – Computer God (https://youtu.be/uzHm50QhKvo?si=2YLkceHBqYmV1ee_)
9. Disturbed – The Light (https://youtu.be/e1UUAhZ3JzM?si=jXxx5HD4wRmgo3G1)
10. Metallica – Nothing Else Matters (https://youtu.be/tAGnKpE4NCI?si=9MGMRNofK9HUbXDD)
11. Fear Factory – Obsolete (https://youtu.be/t6rFtUjhg4g?si=xHnjBQLOq4Pmsfhe)
12. Joanna Bryson, Professor of AI Ethics, 2020
13. Anvil – Metal on Metal (https://youtu.be/1qSEwYaSlWk?si=-owCb7d04PmusuNw)
14. Metallica – Fade To Black (https://youtu.be/9HZ_tx8aWuA?si=K3D9lgetB0ZDxfWy)
15. Pantera – Strength Beyond Strength (https://youtu.be/yRxg8yVhbQY?si=zRuVk_zY89G_w41g)
15. Hammerfall – Stronger Than All (https://youtu.be/DXgoz5qeMLA?si=ut7X2EPFdtEja_YB)