論人工智慧應用對數位勞動的潛在影響及理論反思

A Theoretical Reflection on Studying Artificial Intelligence and Technological Impact on Digital Labour

本文的中心思想是要整理人工智慧技術對於勞動市場的文獻，同時提倡進行更多觀察性研究，去了解科技如何影響勞資關係及勞動市場。近年來，各國政府、學術界與社會大眾對於有關人工智慧技術及「第四代工業革命」的討論越見普及，當中更有不少學者提出有關智能機械在勞動市場上的應用分析和數據。然而，這一類論述大多都是缺乏經驗佐證的預測，憑空想像應用智能機械後有機會帶來的後果，並沒有考慮到社會整體的科技條件及現實應用環境。本文第一、二部分將整合這一方面的文獻，為及後的討論提供背景，並指出其不足之處。
此外，現時有關人工智慧技術和勞動市場的常見討論，都偏向研究自動化勞動和低技術勞工。有鑒於數位勞動在現今經濟中愈來愈重要，本文將會集中討論智能機械對於數位勞動的影響，並在第三部分析述及反思現時研究數位勞動的兩個重要理論——資訊性社會理論及自主論馬克思主義。在第四部分，本文提倡研究人員要有批判性地了解智能科技在工作程序中的應用，並借用過去關於訊息科技的研究嘗試分析智能機械對於數位勞動的潛在影響。最後，在第五部份，本文講述近年中國大陸人工智慧技術發展政策，並以「九九六」模式為案例帶出研究智能機械的複雜性，及提議未來研究發展方向。

The aim of this article is to call for more empirical research on the study of technological impact on capital-labour relations and the labour market. In recent years, there has been an increasing concern about the development of artificial intelligence and‘the Fourth Industrial Revolution’in public and policy debate. Many researchers have tried to predict and analyse the technological impact on the labour market in the future. However, these studies are mostly economic calculations, and they paid little attention to the socio-technological environment in the workplace and society. Parts 1 and 2 of this article introduce this literature and point out the shortcomings of these arguments.
Up till now, there has been much academic discourse on the use of AI and robotics at work. Whilst the focus has been on the relationship between automation and manual labour, part 3 and 4 of this article provide a theoretical discussion of the technological impacts on digital labour. By using Castells’concept of information technology, this paper suggests that artificial intelligence potentially shares a similar effect on the work conditions of digital labour. Lastly, in part 5, by using the Chinese‘9-9-6’model of work as an example, this article highlights the complexity of studying the impact of intelligent machines on work and suggests recommendations for future research.