Artificial intelligence (AI)
UNISON is working to ensure AI and digitalisation is developed with strong regulations and worker consultation to benefit workers and public services
What is happening
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world around us, our workplaces and the public services UNISON members deliver.
AI could free workers from repetitive and mundane tasks to do more meaningful aspects of work, to make work safer and more accessible and to improve services delivered to the public.
But without proper safeguards and worker involvement, AI risks displacing jobs, changing job roles, increasing worker surveillance, discrimination and unfair treatment, work intensification and loss of privacy and data security. And in public sector workplaces, AI poses a risk to the public services and the people who use them.
Yet, policymakers are turning to AI to help solve challenges in public sector funding, productivity, and staffing levels.
According to a 2024 report:
- Nearly half of public sector professionals are aware of generative AI usage in their area of work.
- Central government departments are increasingly using AI-powered tools for policy analysis, pattern recognition in large datasets, and citizen services.
- Local authorities are adopting tools like Microsoft Copilot, using chatbots for initial citizen inquiries, and data analytics to predict service needs.
- The NHS is developing AI diagnostic tools to improve diagnosis speed and accuracy, while using automation to streamline administrative processes and manage patient flow.
AI in public services
While AI offers potential benefits, it also presents significant risks when deployed in public services.
Automated decision-making that affects people using services When AI makes or assists with decisions that affect service users, particularly vulnerable individuals, any errors or biases can have serious consequences. For example, flawed algorithmic assessments of needs could lead to inappropriate care packages or resource allocation.
Inaccuracies and bias AI systems can produce incorrect outputs, sometimes called “hallucinations”. They can also perpetuate any biases present in their training data, potentially leading to discriminatory outcomes in service delivery.
Lack of transparency Many AI systems operate as “black boxes,” making decisions in ways that are difficult to understand or challenge. This lack of transparency is particularly problematic in public services, where accountability is essential.
Data privacy concerns AI systems require vast amounts of data to function effectively. In public services, this often means sensitive personal information about citizens, raising important questions about data security and privacy.
Impact on service quality and jobs Without proper planning and worker involvement, AI implementation may negatively affect both service quality and working conditions. Workers may face increased job insecurity, intensified workloads, or a loss of autonomy and discretion.
Ethical and environmental implications AI uses huge amounts and has significant environmental consequences. It also presents ethical problems such as copyright and intellectual property concerns. Its development is also associated with unfair and exploitative labour practices, often in the Global South.
Why AI is a UNISON issue
Policymakers are quickly turning to AI as a potential solution to challenges in public sector funding, productivity, and staffing levels.
AI has the potential to improve services and make work more rewarding. But without proper safeguards and worker involvement, it could also lead to unfair treatment, increased surveillance, and threats to jobs, privacy and the experience of work.
In public sector workplaces, it also poses a risk to public services themselves and the people who use them.
What UNISON is doing
UNISON is here to help members understand the issues around AI in public sector workplaces, and to both negotiate and organise on these issues with their branches. AI is a rapidly developing area of policy, both within the union and in the rest of the world, and our resources will grow as UNISON’s work grows – so check back here regularly for updates.
UNISON believes that artificial intelligence has the potential to play a positive role in public services, but only if implemented responsibly and ethically.
Our approach is guided by these core principles:
- Democratic participation and worker voice: Workers and their unions must be involved decisions about AI from an early stage through to implementation and review.
- Augmentation not replacement: AI should enhance human capabilities and judgment rather than replace them, especially for complex decisions affecting vulnerable people who rely on public services.
- Quality-focused implementation: It should prioritise improving service quality and enhancing both worker and service user experience, not simply reducing costs and boosting efficiency.
- Fairness and equality: AI systems in the public sector must be designed and used in ways that do not discriminate or reinforce existing inequalities, particularly given the public sector’s responsibility to serve diverse communities.
- Transparency and explainability: Public sector workers and service users should understand how AI systems operate and how decisions that affect them are made.
- Respect for privacy: The collection and use of data for public sector AI systems must respect individuals’ privacy rights and maintain appropriate boundaries, especially when handling sensitive public service data.
- Fair distribution of benefits: Productivity gains achieved should be fairly shared with the workforce and reinvested to improve services.
- Beyond AI solutions: A focus on evidence-based policymaking and addressing underlying issues in public services rather than relying solely on technological solutions.
Public service staff must have a meaningful say in how AI affects their work and the services they provide. This should include:
- A legal duty on public sector employers to consult trade unions before introducing high-risk and intrusive forms of AI.
- Consultation that begins at the formative stage of any proposal to introduce new technology in public service delivery.
- Meaningful involvement of frontline staff in the design, procurement, trial, implementation, and maintenance of AI systems in the public sector.
- Rights for public service workers to challenge decisions about service delivery made by AI systems.
Strong guardrails are needed to ensure AI is implemented responsibly in our public services. We need:
- Employment legislation to protect public service workers from the potential harms of algorithmic decision-making.
- Properly resourced public sector regulators with the capacity to effectively oversee AI systems.
- Strict ethical, environmental and transparency conditions for companies providing AI to local authorities, the NHS, schools, and other public services.
Public service workers need protection and control over how their data is used in AI systems. UNISON is asking for:
- Mandatory disclosure to public service workers about what data is being collected in their workplace.
- The right for public sector staff to access their personal data and any inferences drawn from it.
- Protection against excessive surveillance and monitoring in public service environments.
- Joint control and access to data generated in public services.
Full visibility is critical for building trust in how AI is used across public services. We need:
- Mandatory reporting of AI use across all levels of government and public services.
- Public sector procurement standards that include joint access to data and full contract transparency.
- Published environmental and equality impact assessments of AI services implemented in the public sector.
Workers should have ongoing input into how AI systems operate in public services. This should include:
- Formal involvement of public service workers and unions at all stages of AI system design and deployment.
- Regular review and assessment of systems with public service worker participation.
- Clear lines of accountability for AI systems and their outputs in public service delivery.
Public service workers need the skills to work confidently with AI systems. UNISON is asking for:
- Training for all public service employees who interact with AI so they can use tools effectively and critically evaluate outputs.
- Education for public sector managers and decision-makers in AI principles to enable responsible procurement.
- Mandatory people plans when introducing new technologies in public services, with investment in worker development.
- Economy-wide programmes to support public service workers in adapting to technological change.
Public sector organisations need resources and guidance to implement AI responsibly. UNISON is asking for:
- Guidance and frameworks from central government to support all levels of public services.
- Collaborative knowledge-sharing between public sector organisations.
- Resources for smaller public bodies to develop AI expertise.
Learn more about AI and get help
Understanding AI
Impact of AI on work
AI and workers rights
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