DIGI-net advocates for an inclusive, people-centered digital transition

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and digital technologies is transforming the world of work, posing new challenges for how companies are organized, their decision-making processes, and the skills of professionals. Against the backdrop of an aging European workforce, the DIGI-net project highlights the need to ensure that this transformation does not leave behind workers aged 55 and older.

The topic was discussed at the event “AI and Digitalization at Work: Skills, Inclusion, and Responsibility with a Focus on Workers 55+,” held this past April at the Porto School of Business Sciences—FCEP (the new name for ISCAP). The initiative was part of COST Action CA21107—“Work Inequalities in Later Life Redefined by Digitalization,” known as DIGI-net—and brought together researchers, institutional leaders, business representatives, healthcare professionals, and experts in artificial intelligence.

One of the event’s key conclusions was the importance of using artificial intelligence critically and responsibly. As these tools play an increasingly significant role in work and decision-making processes, it is essential that professionals know how to evaluate the results they produce while recognizing their limitations. The meeting also highlighted the obstacles faced by older workers. According to participants, these are primarily structural and cultural in nature: unequal access to training, limited participation in innovation processes, and age-related biases continue to limit their integration into the digital transformation.

DIGI-net therefore advocates an approach that goes beyond the mere acquisition of technical skills. This includes a commitment to accessible training tailored to different professional experiences, the involvement of workers in the implementation of new technologies, and the promotion of knowledge transfer and the adoption of more inclusive human resources policies were among the proposals presented.

The event’s conclusions were subsequently presented by Anabela Mesquita, a professor at FCEP and a researcher at CEOS, at the DIGI-net closing conference, held in early June at Mendel University (Czech Republic).