In 2025, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) World Day theme will focus on the impacts of digitalisation and artificial intelligence on workers’ health and safety and will shed light on new work practices, such as the automation of tasks, big data analysis, smart digital systems and workers management through AI.
The International Trade Union Confederation’s accompanying theme for Workers’ Memorial Day is ‘the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and digitisation on occupational health and safety’.
How to get involved
Safe Work Australia is encouraging everyone to promote World Day and Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April 2025 to recognise the importance of health and safety in the workplace.
- Download our co-brandable resources to promote the day in your workplace:
- Post your awareness-raising content on social media along with our social tiles LINK and the hashtags #WorldWHSDay2025 #SafeDay2025 #IWMD2025.
- Attend a Workers’ Memorial Day event
- Our resources on psychosocial hazards in the workplace provides PCBUs with examples of hazards, how to identify them and helpful tools to mitigate their risks to ensure a healthy workplace
About this year’s theme
The ILO’s theme for World Day 2025 explores new work practices such as the automation of tasks, big data analysis, smart digital systems and workers management through AI. It will examine various new technologies through an occupational safety and health lens, including:
- advanced robots
- artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
- exoskeletons
- unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- work/hybrid work/telework.
- Virtual and Augmented Reality
AI and automation in the workplace
New technology capabilities can bring many benefits, including safer work and workplaces. But they need to be designed and have appropriate oversight to ensure workers are not exposed to new or additional WHS risks.
The Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy sets a platform for delivering WHS improvements over the next decade, including on emerging issues like the rise of artificial intelligence and automation.
The introduction of digitalisation and AI in various forms throughout a workplace may decrease the exposure to physical risks but can introduce more psychosocial hazards to job roles due to decreases in interpersonal interactions and the intensification of work.
Our resources on psychosocial hazards in the workplace provides examples of hazards, how to identify them and helpful tools to mitigate their risks to ensure a healthy workplace.
- Model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work
- Psychosocial hazards
- Infographic: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at work
- Mental Health