Artificial intelligence in the service of health and safety at work: Perspectives and challenges from now to 2035 - A prospective study

Abstract

Artificial intelligence systems are developing very rapidly in all areas. This is particularly true in the case of work, where we are seeing their use in the robotisation of industrial production or the automation of certain functions in services (from chatbots to robotic process automation). In the context of a prospective study devoted to the use of artificial intelligence for occupational risk prevention, a very diverse project group was set up: occupational health practitioners, artificial intelligence specialists, lawyers, futurists, sociologists, and everyday users of artificial intelligence techniques. Using the method of contrasting scenarios, this project group successively documented variables likely to influence the use of artificial intelligence in the service of occupational health and safety, put forward hypotheses on their possible development over the next ten to fifteen years, and constructed scenarios. These relatively general scenarios were then adapted specifically to the subject studied, in particular during seminars devoted to specific uses (possible uses of artificial intelligence tools in epidemiology and accidentology, technologies for securing working environments using artificial intelligence, advanced robotics using artificial intelligence). Based on all the material produced during the study, the study finally resulted in recommendations of the project group on the use of AI in occupational risk prevention proposed for discussion. The subject is indeed of interest to the whole community of practitioners involved in occupational risk prevention whose practices will certainly be affected by these new technological developments.