Worksplace to Worksphere : Digitalisation and AI, What's Next ?

#96 – April 2026

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant prospect—it is already reshaping how we work, how decisions are made, and how workers are treated. We are proud to present you this new edition of AGORA N° 96, which was led by USF Secretary General, Peter Kempen. Here, urgent questions arise: Who is protected? Who decides? And where must unions intervene?

Across articles and interviews, our contributors examine how AI challenges workers in the public sector and beyond—from permanent digital availability and toxic monitoring to job losses driven by systems workers themselves helped train. This issue highlights why union involvement is crucial to safeguard dignity, working conditions, data protection, social dialogue, and the right to disconnect.

As the EU AI Act sets a first framework, AGORA #96 equips union officials and members with insights, questions, and tools to act. Understanding AI is no longer optional—it is a collective responsibility.

Articles in this issue

Editorial #96

The recurring key points in this AGORA edition’s contributions on AI are clear. Uphold the dignity of the worker. Empower workers. Avoid unnecessary toxic monitoring.

The Power of Social Learning

In a world changing faster than ever, no single person or organisation has all the answers. How to face them together?

WORKPLACE vs WORKSPHERE

For trade unions, the task is both to design tools adapted to the risks associated with mobility and to renegotiate collective guarantees.

Job Quality and Digitalisation

Digitalisation is transforming work and creating new challenges for trade union rights. Key insights to support collective bargaining and union action.

INTERVIEWS : The Hidden Cost of AI

Technology is moving forward quickly, but our ideas about work are struggling to keep pace. The future of AI is not set in stone.

Taking Back Control of The Algorithm

Digitalisation is not inevitable. It is a collective choice, a social construct that can be discussed, negotiated, and regulated.

Worker Protection Under The EU AI ACT

A clear and concise reference sheet on the EU AI Act is valuable for trade union representatives. This brief arms union reps with the tools to expose and curb unfair AI at work.

Internal Survey Report on Teleworking and Hybrid Work

The revealing details of this survey are taken together with the general comments and analyses available in the media to draft a set of recommendations for the future.

Towards a Fair Digital Transition

There is a crucial need for regulating those tools at the workplace, where AI has already been deployed without proper regulatory frameworks.

In memoriam: Henri SPEYBROUCK

It is with great sadness that Union Syndicale Brussels informs you of the passing of our long standing member, Henri Speybrouck.

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