Technologies would not endanger the workforce on a large scale

Posted On: January 19, 2024

Newly released documents show senior federal government officials do not believe artificial intelligence and robots threaten large swaths of Canada's workforce.

Federal experts assessed a scenario in their work in 2019 apocalyptic in which automation would eliminate half of Canada's jobs exaggerated.

But those officials noted signs of fragility in some sectors of the economy that the government should be concerned about, such as how streaming services are redefining the production of music, television and films.

Other documents show that the government was informed before the summer that 11% of jobs in Canada could be automated in the next 15 to 20 years, and that 29% of existing jobs could be automated is likely to change significantly.

The Canadian Press obtained these documents through the Access to Information Act.

The report should serve as a basis for advising the government elected in October on how it can help workers as the new decade begins.

This work is part of a series of studies conducted by federal officials to determine the extent to which social insurance programs would respond to the most pessimistic scenarios regarding technological changes in the world of work.

It is unclear what the conclusions of this review were. These details, like many others in the documents, were redacted or not made public.

According to other documents obtained by The Canadian Press in March, federal officials have identified where the effects of automation are likely to be felt most, such as rural communities that rely on manufacturing. Those publications mentioned in the June report also listed the cities in each province that were most likely and least likely to be affected.

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Subcontracting abroad

However, the documents do not go so far as to predict exactly which sectors the impacts will be felt most or how quickly they will occur.

For example, experts believe that certain tasks such as proofreading and data entry could be outsourced abroad to low-wage workers via online platforms. Three-dimensional printing, on the other hand, could bring back manufacturing jobs.

Officials also wrote that other trends not assessed in the report would shape the future of work, including the transition to a low-carbon economy and the increase in the number of sexual minority (LGBTQ2) workers.

Certain measures to address the increasing presence of technology in the world of work will come into force in 2020. Consider introducing a $250 per year training credit and a new unemployment insurance benefit to support workers in training.

Experts who advise the Federal Ministry of Labor assume that many adults are lacking basic digital skills and from complementary skills to thrive in the future of work, according to a summary of a presentation to deputy ministers by an official from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

A recent report from the Brookfield Institute came to a similar conclusion and recommended that governments create something a wide range of accessible programs designed to provide Canadians with general digital work skills […] and general complementary skills.