Societal impact
Compounding education biases and inequalites
Human rights

Societal impact

GenAI is having a profound societal impact, particularly in education and employment, bringing both opportunities and challenges.

In education, AI-powered tools can enhance learning by providing personalised tutoring, automating grading, and generating study materials. However, concerns arise over academic integrity, as AI-generated content makes it easier for students to cheat, raising questions about assessment methods and the role of critical thinking. Additionally, reliance on AI in education may widen the digital divide, disadvantaging students with limited access to technology.

In employment, GenAI is transforming industries by automating tasks traditionally done by humans, from content creation to customer service and even software development. While this boosts efficiency and reduces costs for businesses, it also threatens job security, particularly for creative professionals, writers, and administrative workers. The rise of AI-generated work raises concerns about the devaluation of human labour and the need for workforce reskilling to adapt to an AI-driven economy. Without thoughtful regulation and adaptation, generative AI could exacerbate social inequalities, making it essential to balance innovation with ethical considerations in both education and employment.

Statistical Analysis in Ireland

As per current statistics;

“At a sectoral level, persons working in the ‘Financial and Insurance’ and ‘Information and Communication’ sectors are most exposed to AI. The ‘Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing’ sector is the least exposed from a regional perspective, persons working in urban areas are relatively more exposed to AI than rural areas.

Dublin is the region with the highest share of persons working in relatively highly exposed roles, at 71 per cent.” [1]

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/a9de0-ministers-mcgrath-td-and-burke-td-welcomed-the-publication-of-a-series-of-reports-artificial-intelligence-friend-or-foe/#:~:text=The%20analysis%20shows%20that%3A,average%20(63%25%20vs%2060%25)

Learning and working (example)

https://www.tiktok.com/@engineer2educator/video/7188560062678420779

(This video should be cut so that only the first 2 minutes are included as they are the most relevant and then embedded so it’s a simple click to play. Activity for students is below video. This could be a blank text box to fill, or a ‘select all that apply’ multiple choice mini quiz.)

‘Let’s start thinking about how AI can change how we learn and work. Watch this video and identify:

>One way AI can make studying easier (answer: summarise an article, make reading less daunting, help identify useful quotes etc)

>One potential pitfall to using the method described (answer: not reading the full article can result in a misunderstanding due to lacking the full context, failure to properly attribute citations can result in plagiarism etc (potential to link here to academic integrity section or other module on this topic))’

Compounding education biases and inequalities

In many cases, the ‘full’ version of GenAI tools is paid rather than free. Sometimes after a free trial, you need to pay in order to access these tools, and in other cases, the free versions are simpler versions, use older models, or perform a limited amount of tasks.

Additionally, the lack of internet access creates significant barriers for students seeking to utilise various AI tools and software. These points highlight critical issues surrounding the accessibility of GenAI tools, ultimately highlighting that they are not equally available to all individuals.

‘On the previous page, we saw an example of some study tips using Gen AI. Techniques like these have the potential to make educational settings/attainment more accessible for more people/people who may be neurodivergent or have learning disabilities/don’t find traditional methods helpful. However, we know that Gen AI can also compound biases (signpost or link to relevant section). How could this impact accessibility/disability in teaching and learning? Consider the following video about Gen AI and ableism:

https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyandrewdavis/video/7264601875066998058’ (This video is longer so an excerpt may be more suitable)

‘Select the possible impacts (or maybe a text box or ‘click to uncover’ and they reveal one by one to make it more engaging) on classroom settings of the perpetuation of biases about disability by Gen AI:

>Narrow vision of disability left unchecked

>Students with disabilities stereotyped

>Less diverse classrooms mean typical students miss out on interactions with disabled students

>Assessments less inclusive’

Human rights

Generative AI presents several human rights challenges, particularly concerning freedom of expression, discrimination, and misinformation. AI-generated content can be used to manipulate public opinion, spread propaganda, or create deepfake materials that violate individuals’ rights to dignity and truth.

Additionally, biases in AI training data can lead to discriminatory outputs, reinforcing stereotypes and marginalising certain groups, which undermines the principles of equality and non-discrimination. In authoritarian regimes, GenAI tools may be leveraged for mass surveillance, censorship, or the suppression of dissent, posing a serious threat to privacy and freedom of speech.

Furthermore, the automation of creative and intellectual work raises concerns about the right to work and fair labour practices, as AI-generated content could displace human workers in various industries. As AI technology continues to evolve, it is crucial to establish ethical guidelines and legal frameworks that protect human rights while fostering responsible innovation.

The rapid rise of GenAI has raised serious concerns about the exploitation of workers by AI companies, particularly in data labelling, content moderation, and low-wage digital labour. Many AI systems rely on vast amounts of human-annotated data to function effectively, and much of this work is outsourced to underpaid workers in developing countries who endure poor working conditions, long hours, and psychological distress—especially when moderating harmful or graphic content. Additionally, AI-generated content threatens the livelihoods of creative professionals, including writers, artists, and voice actors, as companies use AI to replace human labour while profiting from models trained on their work without fair compensation. The gig-like nature of many AI-related jobs also leaves workers without job security, benefits, or bargaining power. Without stronger labour protections, transparency, and fair compensation models, AI companies risk deepening economic inequality and reinforcing exploitative labour practices in the pursuit of technological advancement.

It is important to stay cognisant of the above when using AI tools.