Video: @salvadorilla / X
Registry to Monitor AI’s Labour Market Effects
The Government of Catalonia will approve the creation of an AI systems registry and the region’s first Observatory of AI and the Labour Market on Tuesday, 15 September 2026. The move aims to analyse, anticipate and govern the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, President Salvador Illa announced during a keynote speech titled 'The Future is Here' at the Maritime Museum of Barcelona on Monday evening. Under the plan, the registry will document high- and limited-risk AI systems used by public administration, tracking how they function, who manages them, and what risks they pose from development to decommissioning. It will be managed by the Secretariat for Telecommunications and Digital Transformation within the Department of the Presidency.
Protecting Workers and Ensuring Ethical Use
Illa stressed that AI "is not neutral" and warned that its power must not be left in the hands of a few or allowed to override the common good. He pledged that the Generalitat would safeguard labour rights by ensuring no algorithmic decision is made without human oversight. To support small and medium enterprises (pymes), the government will expand the Aina project, offering financial aid and technical assistance. Additional resources will go toward retraining workers most at risk of job displacement due to automation.
The power of AI is limitless, but it must serve everyone, not just a select few. We need ethical governance now.
The initiative aligns with the European AI Regulation, ensuring compliance with data protection, transparency and auditability standards. Each registered system will have a designated human supervisor and be open to auditing, reinforcing public trust and accountability.
Long-Term Strategy and Economic Goals
This step forms part of Catalonia’s broader Artificial Intelligence Strategy, coordinated by the Ministry of Business and Knowledge, which aims to position Barcelona as a global AI hub by 2030. The strategy includes mobilising €1 billion in investment, supporting 179 local AI firms that currently employ over 8,400 people and generate €1.336 billion in turnover. According to the Generalitat, AI could increase Spain’s GDP by 0.8% by 2030, while one in four jobs in Catalonia may be affected by automation. The government says it will work with trade unions and business groups to ensure changes are implemented through social dialogue.
Primary sources: eb.gencat.cat, Generalitat de Catalunya, govern.cat, Fundació i2cat. Reported by europapress.es, catalannews.com, members.sbf.org.sg, en.ara.cat, Agencia EFE, en.empresaexterior.com, elperiodico.com, elpais.com, EUROPA PRESS, catalonia.com, ARA, ultimahora.es, Europa Press Barcelona.
