ERC Starting Grant for research on AI’s impact on labor markets and the welfare state

AI is evolving rapidly and has major implications for work and security. In sectors ranging from the creative industries to software development, tasks are increasingly performed by AI. Recent studies show that nearly one in three workers in OECD countries fear losing their jobs to AI within five years. According to Chueri, these concerns are justified: “Governments are insufficiently prepared for the scale of disruption AI can cause in the labor market.”

Her ERC-funded project is the first systematic study of the politics of the welfare state in the AI era. It examines how automation reshapes support for social protection, what forms of security workers demand, and how political parties, unions, and social movements respond. Outcomes may range from maintaining existing systems to inventing entirely new forms of security.

“The history of the welfare state is a history of reinvention,” Chueri notes. “AI may well be the next major turning point.” With €1.5 million in funding, she will track these dynamics across OECD countries using surveys, computational methods, and longitudinal analyses. The project highlights that the future of work and security is not predetermined, but depends on political choices and the societal visions contested today.

Read the full article on the VU website: ERC Starting Grant voor onderzoek in de politicologie naar de gevolgen van AI.