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Governing the intelligent factory – Transforming labor law through an open-standards framework for AI governance in industry 4.0

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Over the past decade, technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing have rapidly transformed manufacturing systems, introducing unprecedented levels of autonomy, precision, and scalability. While these technologies enhance productivity, they also challenge traditional labor relations and regulatory frameworks. Existing laws including the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEOA) were not designed for AI-driven workplaces. Despite growing industrial adoption, limited research examines their implications for human behavior, labor relations, and union law. This manuscript addresses these gaps and proposes an open governance framework based on Model Context Protocol (MCP) that can enable transparent communication between industrial AI systems and regulatory bodies to strengthen compliance, accountability, and worker protection in the evolving Industry 4.0 landscape.

Source: Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity

DOI: 10.1016/j.joitmc.2025.100690

Authors: Nabeel Mehdi, Tooba Naz

Institutions: North Carolina State University, Michigan State University

Language: English

Topic: Legal and Labor Studies

Subfield: Industrial relations

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,250