The session will open with welcoming remarks by Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and Michael Schäfer, State Secretary and Head of Administration at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The programme will continue with a keynote address from Avi Goldfarb, Professor of Marketing at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, followed by a high-level ministerial panel discussion. The conference will be moderated by Nicola Brandt, Head of the OECD Berlin Centre.

What happens when AI moves from following instructions to acting on our behalf? This panel explores the emerging concept of agentic AI systems designed to act more independently, making decisions and pursuing goals with limited human oversight. Agentic AI has the potential to unlock innovation, boost productivity, and reshape industries by streamlining complex tasks and enhancing collaboration between humans and machines. In this session, experts from AI research, ethics, policy, and industry will unpack what agentic AI is, spotlight early real-world applications, and explore what its emergence could mean for work, society, and the economy.

Experts and policymakers will examine the latest evidence on how AI is reshaping firm-level productivity and worker performance, as well as its broader implications for labour demand and job quality. They will also explore industrial, labour, and education policies that can ensure firms oand workers are able to harness any gains and share in the benefits of technological progress.

Nicola Brandt, head of the OECD Berlin Centre and conference MC, summarises day one and tells us what's in store for day two.

This session will showcase different perspectives on the governance of algorithmic management tools. The OECD shows that algorithmic management tools are already widely used (full report, policy brief). In addition, firms are very active in attempts to govern the tools and mediate their impact on workers, with 89% of firms having at least one governance measure in place (e.g. guidelines, audits). This session will examine what firms are currently doing, assess how effective these measures may be, and present viewpoints from business, trade unions, and legal experts on whether further action is needed. It will conclude with suggestions on where policymakers should focus their efforts, whether by offering clearer guidance for developers or adopting firms, or by considering new legislation.

AI is reshaping markets, and the effects can vary depending on the type of AI and who’s using it. This session brings together experts to explore how AI and competition are interlinked in the economy. We’ll look at the differences between generative and non-generative AI, the roles of developers and users, and the challenges and opportunities each group faces. We aim to make sense of how different types of AI affect market dynamics, look at the role of different actors, and what that means for businesses and policy.

Nicola Brandt, head of the OECD Berlin Centre and conference MC, summarises day two and tells us what's in store for day three.

AI is increasingly used by social affairs ministries and social security institutions to provide client support, automate back-office processes, and to detect fraud. There is significant potential for AI to help improve the performance of social programmes through predictive analytics, enhanced outreach and better-tailored interventions. We will discuss current and potential uses of AI in the delivery of social protection, consider how to build trust among users, and explore the workforce and skills implications for organisations in the sector.

This session will examine the potential for AI to support neurodivergent learners in vocational education and training and the transition to work, through applications such as social robots, VR/AR to simulate safe practice environments and AI assistants to personalise training materials. In this session, panellists will discuss how AI can unlock neurodiverse talent as well as the barriers preventing effective and broad use of these applications.

The session will introduce a database of AI’s implications for occupations based on the OECD AI Capability Indicators. The indicators provide a framework for linking changing AI capabilities to the world of work. Participants will gain insight into how these indicators can be used to track trends in AI adoption and its implications for workers. We will also present initial findings from the first round of analysis.

AI has the potential to be a general-purpose technology, contributing to the development of new ideas and innovations, which could relevantly drive future economic growth. We will explore how AI is changing innovation processes and outcomes, including the determinants of AI-driven innovations, how to leverage AI for trustworthy new applications, and the impact of AI innovation on firms and organisations.