New Technology and Work: AI and the Coming Struggle to Democratise Work Organisation

ABSTRACT

This paper explores AI‐related changes at work and considers the adequacy of our conceptual tools in the light of contemporary advances in AI. These considerations raise the question of whether sociologists of work should engage more in advocating for worker voice in technology decision‐making. Using the concept of work organisation , I draw on case study and survey evidence of recent technology‐related changes across three sectors: manufacturing, warehousing and news production. The consequences for workers of new forms of AI—Generative AI and Agentic AI—are then considered in the light of Big Tech's power to shape these new technologies. I argue that positive effects of advanced AI at work can be realised by workers participating in technology‐related decisions. Empirical evidence supports this view and provides a basis for constructing a public narrative favouring demands for democratic decision‐making. This reflects a view of research that combines science with social engagement.