Bringing Purpose to Artificial Intelligence: Consultation on European White Paper

CEC European Managers has responded to the European Commission’s consultation on its White Paper on Artificial Intelligence by highlighting the importance of skills, managerial responsibility and social dialogue. Managers count among the key actors in bringing purpose to the development of technological systems.

To manage the current economic, social and ecological crisis, technologies such as AI need also to better deliver on economic, social and environmental sustainability. Artificial Intelligence is a tool and not an end in itself – it has to serve humans, as previously highlighted in the context of the EU’s guidelines for AI. The European digital landscape today is characterised by a decentralised market structure, the predominance of SMEs and the absence of “digital champions”. Building-up European excellence requires digital infrastructure, an empowered digital society, sustainable management practices and strong ethical foundations, also of developers.

The digital transformation is above all a mindshift. New technologies allow to automate routine tasks and make place for unprecedented human creativity, the satisfaction of human needs and new forms of global communities. Today, we share global knowledge and are able to usethat knowledge locally. This requires a vastly different managerial approach than the archaic “command-and-control” type of manager.
Maxime Legrand, Secretary General

Furthermore, the use of AI systems in working environments has a direct impact on workers, managers and employers. Therefore, the participation of (European) social partners will be key to integrate the human aspect of AI. Artificial Intelligence will fail to gain legitimacy if not accompanied by social partners, democratic institutions, independent media and science. If used purposefully, AI could help us realise big leaps forward and requires transparency, accountability and dialogue.

More information

Please download CEC European Managers’s Position paper Leadership and partnerships for purposeful AI.

Please find CEC European Manager’s response to the consultation on the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence here.

Please also read the “AI beyond the hype” report based on a survey with more than 5000 managers in Sweden

Read our Guidelines on Managing the Digital Transformation here