Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
AI may transform or threaten the future of work and the power of workers. Our conversation with Aida Ponce Del Castillo will examine the political stakes of AI for workers, work, and the future careers of university students. How can students and universities prepare to intervene and shape their workplaces in light of AI?
About the speaker
Aída Ponce Del Castillo is the editor of the forthcoming book AI in the Higher Education Sector (ETUI, 2026). She holds a PhD in Law and a Master’s degree in Bioethics. She is a Senior Researcher at the Brussels-based Foresight Unit of the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI). Her research focuses on the legal, social and regulatory dimensions of emerging technologies, particularly data-driven technologies, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, neurotechnology, nanotechnology and their convergence.
At the OECD, she serves as a member of the Working Party on Bio-, Nano- and Converging Technologies (BNCT) and the Working Party on AI Governance.
In addition to her research, she is an experienced foresight practitioner who has led several forward-looking projects at ETUI.
Previously, she headed the Health and Safety Unit at ETUI and coordinated the Workers’ Interest Group within the Advisory Committee on Safety and Health of the European Commission’s DG Employment.
About the series
Critical AI Talks invites leading AI researchers to explore the human and societal impacts of GenAI. Join us at this and other upcoming talks and learn more about the Critical AI Talks series here: csma.humanities.mcmaster.ca/our-community/critical-ai
Notes
06:34 AI in Higher Education and Faculty Labour
You have a forthcoming book Governing AI in the Higher Education Sector. How are AI systems reshaping universities, academic labour, and governance structures?
10:07 What are labour unions, and why do they matter for AI?
14:10 AI, effects on white and blue collar workers, and algorithmic management
When AI enters work places, what role do labour unions play in shaping this transition?
How are AI systems being used to monitor, discipline, and manage workers across different sectors?
20:50 Worker rights under pressure
How does AI intensify existing inequalities between employers and workers?
26:03 Is AI a New Industrial Revolution?
You note in your article Generative AI, generating precariousness for workers? that “Historically, all new technologies have impacted workers.” Is history repeating or is AI fundamentally different from previous waves of automation?
31:35 Union Responses to AI
How are unions addressing (or embracing) AI? What strategies are emerging around transparency, accountability, worker consultation, and collective bargaining?
33:09 Collective agreements, transparency, and the Hollywood writers’ strike
What can recent writers’ and actors’ strikes teach us about AI governance? How are workers negotiating protections around authorship, creative labour, and automation?
39:40 Academic unions, AI procurement, and university governance
Where do faculty and students fit into the big governance questions around generative AI?
47:20 Sector-specific AI harms, public services, and workplace rights
How do AI systems affect workers differently across education, healthcare, public services, and platform economies? Why is sector-specific analysis necessary for meaningful regulation?
51:00 Non-unionized AI labour in the Global South
How can union-based labour strategies respond to the growing reliance on non-unionized AI labour in the Global South, where workers often lack both visibility and bargaining power?
53:58 Organizing Beyond Traditional Unions
What forms of collective action are available for non-unionized workers?
55:27 What should universities do?
Where do faculty and students fit into the big governance questions around generative AI?
What role should higher education institutions play in shaping more democratic technological futures?
59:05 Final reflections: get involved, get active, ask questions
AI may transform or threaten the future of work and the power of workers. Our conversation with Aida Ponce Del Castillo will examine the political stakes of AI for workers, work, and the future careers of university students. How can students and universities prepare to intervene and shape their workplaces in light of AI?
About the speaker
Aída Ponce Del Castillo is the editor of the forthcoming book AI in the Higher Education Sector (ETUI, 2026). She holds a PhD in Law and a Master’s degree in Bioethics. She is a Senior Researcher at the Brussels-based Foresight Unit of the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI). Her research focuses on the legal, social and regulatory dimensions of emerging technologies, particularly data-driven technologies, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, neurotechnology, nanotechnology and their convergence.
At the OECD, she serves as a member of the Working Party on Bio-, Nano- and Converging Technologies (BNCT) and the Working Party on AI Governance.
In addition to her research, she is an experienced foresight practitioner who has led several forward-looking projects at ETUI.
Previously, she headed the Health and Safety Unit at ETUI and coordinated the Workers’ Interest Group within the Advisory Committee on Safety and Health of the European Commission’s DG Employment.
About the series
Critical AI Talks invites leading AI researchers to explore the human and societal impacts of GenAI. Join us at this and other upcoming talks and learn more about the Critical AI Talks series here: csma.humanities.mcmaster.ca/our-community/critical-ai
Notes
06:34 AI in Higher Education and Faculty Labour
You have a forthcoming book Governing AI in the Higher Education Sector. How are AI systems reshaping universities, academic labour, and governance structures?
10:07 What are labour unions, and why do they matter for AI?
14:10 AI, effects on white and blue collar workers, and algorithmic management
When AI enters work places, what role do labour unions play in shaping this transition?
How are AI systems being used to monitor, discipline, and manage workers across different sectors?
20:50 Worker rights under pressure
How does AI intensify existing inequalities between employers and workers?
26:03 Is AI a New Industrial Revolution?
You note in your article Generative AI, generating precariousness for workers? that “Historically, all new technologies have impacted workers.” Is history repeating or is AI fundamentally different from previous waves of automation?
31:35 Union Responses to AI
How are unions addressing (or embracing) AI? What strategies are emerging around transparency, accountability, worker consultation, and collective bargaining?
33:09 Collective agreements, transparency, and the Hollywood writers’ strike
What can recent writers’ and actors’ strikes teach us about AI governance? How are workers negotiating protections around authorship, creative labour, and automation?
39:40 Academic unions, AI procurement, and university governance
Where do faculty and students fit into the big governance questions around generative AI?
47:20 Sector-specific AI harms, public services, and workplace rights
How do AI systems affect workers differently across education, healthcare, public services, and platform economies? Why is sector-specific analysis necessary for meaningful regulation?
51:00 Non-unionized AI labour in the Global South
How can union-based labour strategies respond to the growing reliance on non-unionized AI labour in the Global South, where workers often lack both visibility and bargaining power?
53:58 Organizing Beyond Traditional Unions
What forms of collective action are available for non-unionized workers?
55:27 What should universities do?
Where do faculty and students fit into the big governance questions around generative AI?
What role should higher education institutions play in shaping more democratic technological futures?
59:05 Final reflections: get involved, get active, ask questions
