BRUSSELS – In a high-profile hearing held by the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Patrick Glauner, coordinator of the International Finance Forum’s Artificial Intelligence Committee and Full Professor of AI at Deggendorf Institute of Technology, delivered an urgent call for a balanced and innovation-friendly approach to AI in the workplace.

The hearing, convened to inform upcoming EU policy on AI and algorithmic management, brought together a panel of leading experts to explore the benefits and challenges of AI integration in employment contexts. Participants included representatives from the European Commission’s Joint Research Center, academia, businesses and labor unions.

Speaking from his broad experience, ranging from advising multiple European parliaments to leading his AI consultancy Skyrocket.ai, Glauner urged lawmakers to seize the transformative opportunities offered by AI without being paralyzed by fear-driven overregulation.

“AI has already been integrated into workplaces for decades,” Glauner stated. “Let’s not kill its future potential with overregulation that stifles innovation and international competitiveness.”

AI as a Support System

Glauner’s presentation focused on the practical implementation of AI in professional environments. He emphasized the need to clearly distinguish between AI systems, platform work, and algorithmic management, which are three related but separate concepts that are often mistakenly conflated in policy discussions.

While AI can help automate decision-making, Glauner stressed that it should be viewed as a support system, not as a replacement for human agency. “Humans make up to 30,000 decisions a day, half of which are probably at work. AI helps us make some of these faster and more efficiently, but we shouldn’t expect it to make decisions for us.”

He explained the core methodologies behind AI, particularly machine learning, where systems identify patterns from examples rather than relying solely on rule-based logic. Although these models are powerful and adaptable, they are not without limitations, mirroring the fallibility of human decision-making.

Glauner tackled some of the concerns raised in the hearing, including privacy, surveillance, worker autonomy, and potential job displacement. He acknowledged the risks associated with poorly implemented AI, particularly in performance monitoring and recruitment, but emphasized that responsible integration requires human oversight, not bans or fear.

“AI will not ‘get out of control,’ these systems have boundaries,” he said. “They don’t emulate the human brain. What they do is follow up on tasks, support decision-making, and, if designed well, improve productivity without compromising ethical standards.”

He further highlighted the economic and demographic imperatives for AI adoption, especially in Europe. “We have an aging and shrinking workforce. To remain competitive, we must double productivity without doubling headcounts. AI is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.”

In a candid moment, Glauner questioned the tendency to hold AI systems to higher standards than humans. “Bias in AI comes from human decisions. We must stop pretending that only machines are flawed. Instead, apply the same standards to both, nothing more, nothing less.”

He also called for stronger enablement of workers, trade unions, and works councils in the digital transition. Rather than fearing AI, he argued, stakeholders should be empowered to guide its ethical and effective use.

Focus on Implementation

While acknowledging the relevance of the EU AI Act, Glauner cautioned against layering additional regulation specifically targeting AI in the workplace. “The AI Act already exists. Let’s focus on implementation and international alignment, not additional legal frameworks that increase compliance costs without added benefit.”

He argued that further regulation would create unnecessary burdens for businesses while failing to improve outcomes for workers. “Overregulation hurts our global competitiveness. Let’s not make AI a European missed opportunity.”

Glauner concluded by reiterating the importance of thoughtful, evidence-based policymaking. “The goal should not be to slow down AI adoption, but to integrate it responsibly and effectively, with strong support systems, continuous training, and open dialogue among all social partners.”

The EMPL committee is currently drafting an INL report aimed at shaping future EU legislative proposals on AI in the workplace. The insights shared by Glauner and other expert witnesses will play a pivotal role in guiding this effort.

IFF AI Committee

The IFF AI Committee’s goal is to promote international exchanges and dialogues in the field of AI, support technological innovation and co-operation, ensure the peaceful and safe development of AI technology and help build a global AI governance system.