Israel job scheme unravels, 'RAM' on a goat, and a treaty for AI regulation
Sep 13, 2024
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Ritu Sarin, an Executive Editor at The Indian Express, unpacks her investigation into the unraveling Israeli job scheme for Indian construction workers, highlighting ethical and labor issues. Sadaf Modak shares an amusing yet controversial tale of a goat tied outside a mutton shop, revealing the legal drama sparked by religious sensitivities. Lastly, the discussion shifts to the groundbreaking international treaty aimed at regulating artificial intelligence, emphasizing its potential impact on human rights and the urgent need for oversight.
The unraveling of the Israel job scheme highlights significant mismatches in worker qualifications, leading to job dissatisfaction and health issues.
The first legally binding international treaty on AI sets important guidelines for transparency and accountability in AI technology deployments.
Deep dives
Unraveling Job Scheme in Israel
A recent job scheme in Israel aimed at addressing labor shortages following a conflict has begun to unravel due to significant mismatches in worker qualifications. Indian workers, many of whom were promised high salaries in the construction sector, have reported being assigned to unsuitable jobs, often at lower wages. Investigations highlight gaps in the recruitment process, with many workers being ill-prepared for the roles they were placed in, resulting in job dissatisfaction and physical strain. This situation raises concerns about the credibility of future recruitment drives and the welfare of Indian workers abroad, as both the workers and hiring companies express distress over the current circumstances.
Glaring Recruitment Failures
The recruitment of Indian workers for the construction sector in Israel has exposed systematic failures in the hiring process. Workers who took tests to qualify for specific trades, such as masonry, are instead performing laborious tasks like cleaning or transporting materials, leading to frustration and health issues among them. For instance, a worker who successfully demonstrated plastering skills found himself relegated to a cleaning role, creating a stark contrast between expectations and reality. These discrepancies highlight the need for a more robust selection and training process to ensure workers possess the right skills for their designated jobs.
International AI Regulation Framework
The recent establishment of the first legally binding international treaty on artificial intelligence marks a significant step towards addressing the ethical implications of AI technology. This treaty emphasizes the need for transparency in AI deployments, ensuring users are made aware when interacting with AI systems, which addresses concerns about privacy and data protection. It also sets forth guidelines for member countries to follow, thereby holding them accountable for potential AI-related harms. As AI usage continues to grow, this treaty lays the groundwork for future regulatory frameworks that will need to evolve alongside technological advancements.
First, Executive Editor (News and Investigations) at The Indian Express Ritu Sarin talks about her latest investigation that looks into how the showpiece bilateral jobs scheme, under which Indians would be taken to Israel to work in the construction sector, is threatening to unravel.
Next, Indian Express' Sadaf Modak tells us how a goat tied outside a mutton shop sparked a legal dispute over alleged religious offense and animal cruelty, and how a man's statement has now given this case a strange twist (10:58).
And in the end, Indian Express’ Amitabh Sinha tells us about the first ‘legally binding’ international treaty on artificial intelligence (15:14).
Hosted, written and produced by Shashank Bhargava Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
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