The U.S. Department of Labor has recently published a list of best practices for artificial intelligence aimed at developers and employers–designed to help organizations harness the benefits offered by AI while safeguarding workers from discrimination and job displacement.

“This approach could introduce AI to the workplace in ways that would combat poverty, increase support for workers and their families, and expand worker autonomy. And AI-powered tools could amplify workers’ voice in the workplace, including through their right to organize. In short, we should think of AI as a potentially powerful technology for worker well-being, and we should harness our collective human talents to design and use AI with workers as its beneficiaries, not as obstacles to innovation,” the department said in the guide titled, Artificial Intelligence and Worker Well-being: Principles and Best Practices for Developers and Employers.”

These voluntary guidelines follow President Joe Biden’s executive order from a year ago, which called for an evaluation of the opportunities and risks associated with AI in both government and private sectors. 

The department also said it remains committed to safeguarding workers from the potential risks of AI while also acknowledging the significant opportunities it presents. 

Earlier this year, the department also unveiled an extensive framework to offer guidance for deploying AI technologies to enhance job quality and safeguard workers’ rights. 

“AI can positively augment work by replacing and automating repetitive tasks or assisting with routine decisions, which may reduce the burden on workers and allow them to better perform other responsibilities,” the Department said in an update.

However, the department also maintains that AI-augmented work poses risks if workers do not have autonomy and direction over their work or their job quality declines.