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Sabina Dewan Calls for Human-Centric AI Regulation at AICESIS, Curaçao
6 November 2025
ABOUT THIS Perspective
At the AICESIS panel in Curaçao, Sabina Dewan highlighted how AI is accelerating inequalities and emphasised that without human-centric regulation, social protection, and renewed social dialogue, AI’s disruptions risk undermining workers and economies—particularly in the Global South.
At the AICESIS panel discussion on “Economic and Social Councils at the Forefront of the AI Era” held in Curacao, Sabina Dewan, Founder and Executive Director of JustJobs Network, highlighted the urgent need to approach AI (Artificial Intelligence) with equity, foresight, and human-centric policy at the centre.
Dewan warned that AI is already deepening structural divides across societies and economies:
- Between those with access to education and digital skills to participate in a technologically driven economy, and those without.
- Between countries that have a seat at the table in AI governance discussions, and those that do not.
- Between those who collect and monetise data, and those locked out of this value chain.
“Governments must proactively steer AI innovation and deployment to ensure it augments—rather than replaces—human labour”, Dewan said.
She further emphasized that human-centric AI regulation and strong social institutions are essential to ensure workers can adapt and thrive in the face of change. This includes:
- Building institutions for social security
- Strengthening social dialogue
- Reforming education and skills training systems
“At no time in the past have the very pioneers of a technology unequivocally warned us of the magnitude of the disruptions emerging. Geoffrey Hinton, Stuart Russell — these pioneers are ringing alarm bells. We would be wise to heed them,” Dewan said.
The debate, she argued, is no longer about whether AI will disrupt employment and deepen inequality—it will.
“The question is whether we’ll build the social compact—the institutions, policies, and global governance—necessary to ensure this disruption doesn’t devastate workers and economies, particularly in the Global South,” she added.
Sabina Dewan was joined on the panel by leading voices from global and regional institutions:
- Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
- Glenda Quintini, Senior Economist, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- Stefano Palmieri, President, External Relations Section, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
- Jose Ignacio Conde Ruiz, Member of the Board, Economic and Social Council (ESC) of Spain
- Amine Mounir Alaoui, Member, Economic Social and Environmental Council of Morocco
- Vasco Torres De Leon, Director General, University of Panama
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