ITL chief says people remain responsible for AI decisions

Artificial intelligence is making businesses more productive, but people still decide how to use it and remain accountable for the results, Estonian Information Technology and Telecommunications Association (ITL) president Ats Albre told ERR.

The technology sector has seen layoffs as AI takes on more work. However, Albre said fewer people were receiving redundancy compensation than a year earlier.

Layoffs at Swedbank and Piedrive, announced within a short period, may make the trend appear stronger than it is, he said. Employee numbers at Telia and Swedbank have gradually declined over the past nine years, which Albre described as part of companies’ efforts to improve efficiency.

Albre said AI tools and models are increasing productivity, but the responsibility for directing their use remains with people. He also cautioned against attributing layoffs at large international companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Meta solely to AI. These companies have had previous rounds of layoffs, and AI is only one factor, he said. They also need more capital for data centres and AI development.

AI tools will become more capable over the next five to 10 years, Albre said, changing jobs and enabling new kinds of work. He said Estonia should adopt new technologies quickly while identifying and managing their risks.

Albre, who also leads the company Nortal, said it had invested substantially to prepare for change. In software development, new tools now allow the company to automate and digitise more work, with some tasks completed up to 10 times faster, he said.