ISSA - International Social Security Association

11/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/10/2026 17:28

Artificial intelligence, labour markets and social security on the agenda in Rome

11 November 2026

How is artificial intelligence transforming employment, and what does this mean for social security? These questions were at the centre of an ISSA Technical Seminar held in Rome, Italy, on
29-30 October 2026, bringing together 119 participants from 36 organizations in 25 countries.

Hosted by Italy's National Social Security Institution (Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale - INPS), the seminar was organized by the International Social Security Association (ISSA), its Technical Commission on Employment Policies and Unemployment Insurance (TC Employment) and the ISSA European Network (IEN).

The seminar was opened by high-level representatives from Italy, including Marina Calderone, Minister of Labour and Social Policies, Alessio Butti, Undersecretary of State, and Gabriele Fava, President of INPS, together with Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano, ISSA Secretary General. The seminar topics were further introduced by Valeria Vittimberga, Director General of INPS, Yunus Elitaş, IEN Chair, and Jean-Marc Vandenbergh, ISSA Treasurer and Chair of the co-organizing Technical Commission.

AI, employment and emerging social security needs

The first day explored how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping labour markets, transforming jobs and skills requirements, and creating new opportunities and risks for workers and social security systems.

Contributions from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) provided an international perspective on these transformations. Experiences from Belgium, China and Malaysia examined changing skills requirements, labour shortages and the importance of lifelong learning.

Discussions also addressed emerging vulnerabilities, including job displacement, income instability and unequal impacts on different groups of workers. Experiences from Ireland, Kazakhstan and Norway highlighted the need for social security systems to adapt to changing risks posed by AI, and support workers throughout their lives. The first day concluded with reflections on why the use of AI must never eclipse human dignity.

Transforming social security institutions

The second day focused on how AI is transforming social security administrations, from business processes and service delivery to organizational structures and workforce development, with a keynote presentation of Professor Ben Kuipers from Leiden University, Netherlands.

A panel of experts from Azerbaijan, Belgium and Sweden discussed AI's impact on organizational change, transformation and processes, while country cases from Finland, France and Italy examined the human resources and workforce implications.

Discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional capacities and addressing challenges related to change management, governance, accountability, transparency, data protection and developing human resource capabilities to leverage this new technology while maintaining human judgement for decisions.

Leadership and institutional preparedness

In a CEO roundtable, social security leaders from Belgium, France, Italy, Poland and Türkiye examined how institutions can prepare for AI-driven transformations. The discussion addressed the value of AI when guided and controlled, the importance of inclusive and practical approaches based on responsible application of AI and the capacity of social security systems to respond to labour market changes.

The seminar provided an opportunity for ISSA members to exchange experiences and explore further exchange of international experiences to accelerate institutional learning to leverage the opportunities and address challenges of AI.

ISSA priorities and the way forward

The seminar contributed to the ISSA's 2026-2028 priorities, particularly Social security coverage for a changing labour market and Management and innovation for a more effective social security. It was also a major milestone in the implementation of the work plans of TC Employment and the IEN, which defined AI and social security as one of the key priorities for its work during the triennium. The exchanges will inform the review of the ISSA Guidelines on Promoting Sustainable Employment and support continued.

Looking ahead to the ISSA's Centenary in 2027, the seminar also highlighted the importance of anticipating change and preparing social security institutions for the future. As the ISSA marks 100 years of international cooperation, harnessing technological innovation while responding to evolving labour markets will remain central to its mission of promoting excellence in social security worldwide.

ISSA Centenary in 2027 and historical reflections

The Rome seminar built on a long history of Italian engagement in international collaboration between social security institutions. In 1949, Rome hosted the ISSA's ninth General Assembly, in 1951 the first International Social Security Seminar and in 1955 the first World Congress on Safety and Health at Work. The INPS was a leading Italian member organizations at the time, and Renato Morelli, President of the Italian National Industrial Accident Insurance Institute, served as ISSA President from 1949 to 1967.

European cooperation has been strong since the beginning of the ISSA, being founded by 17 institutions from nine European countries at a meeting in Brussels in 1927. After the ISSA expanded its regional activities in 1958 an office was opened in Brussels and later in Paris, European seminars gained momentum in the 1970s and the ISSA European Network (IEN) was set up in 2008.

The Permanent Committee on Unemployment Insurance and Employment Maintenance was established in 1955 and later became the Technical Commission on Employment Policies and Unemployment Insurance. Over time, its activities expanded to address changing labour markets, employment policies and measures to support labour market participation.

Since the 1960s, the ISSA has explored how technology can improve social security administration, initially through computers, automation and electronic data processing. Its work subsequently expanded to address the impact of technology on employment and social security, and artificial intelligence has been high on the ISSA's agenda in the 2020s.

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