What AI Implies for Employment Relations and What Labour Needs to Fight Back Against AI

The rapid proliferation of AI and digital management technologies has opened new chapters in the history of work. These tools promise increased efficiency, productivity, and even the augmentation of human capabilities. Yet, behind this techno-optimism lies a more sobering reality. As AI systems are embedded deeper into organizational infrastructures, especially through algorithmic management and task automation, they risk undermining the very fabric of employment relations. Worker autonomy is eroded, decision-making is centralized through opaque systems, and the human dimensions of work, such as wellbeing, creativity, and empathy, are sidelined in favour of efficiency metrics. This contribution critically reflects on the implications of AI for labour and argues for a reimagined, empowered labour movement that can shape a just, inclusive, and democratic technological future.