Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Decent Work: Implications for Sustainable Development Goal 8

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming labor markets, raising fundamental questions about the feasibility of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8) that is decent work for all. This study conducts a systematic literature review, guided by PRISMA 2020, and a qualitative content analysis of 32 peer-reviewed articles & authoritative institutional reports published 2015-2025. The analysis synthesizes how AI affects employment structures, job quality, skills, inequality, governance, and development outcomes. The findings reveal a structurally indecisive relationship. Though AI enhances productivity and generates high-skill employment, it intensifies job divergence, erodes autonomy via algorithmic management, and exacerbates wage and opportunity inequalities, mainly in hazardous & informal labour market segments. Alignment with SDG 8 is therefore conditional on institutional strength, labor regulation, and inclusive reskilling systems. The study identifies critical research gaps, including limited Global South evidence, weak integration of SDG indicators, and insufficient worker-centered and longitudinal analyses. By reframing AI as a socially embedded rather than technologically deterministic force, this review contributes to theory and policy by clarifying the conditions under which AI can advance so called decent work. This paper concludes with directions for future research, and governance strategies to align AI adoption with sustainable and inclusive labor outcomes. Key Words: Artificial Intelligence, Decent Work, Future of Work, Goal 8, Sustainable Development