Op-ed by Ratka Babic, RCC's ESAP Team Leader: May Day in the Age of AI: Progress Must Be People-centred
30 April 2026 | ARTICLE
The op-ed on the occasion of the the International Workers Day says that despite rapid technological advances - especially in artificial intelligence - work has not become easier or more humane, and instead often stretches further into people’s lives. Framed around the significance of May Day, it questions whether progress truly benefits workers or merely boosts efficiency, highlighting issues like job displacement, blurred work-life boundaries, and structural labour challenges in Europe and the Western Balkans. It stresses that AI brings hidden economic, social, and environmental costs, and warns that without deliberate policy choices—such as investing in skills, improving job quality, and rethinking working time—technological progress could undermine social stability. It calls for a people-centred approach to the future of work, where innovation serves human well-being, dignity, and quality of life rather than diminishing them.