Artificial Intelligence and Employment in Argentina

Student Conceptions and Pedagogical Proposals from the Perspective of Familiar Technologies

Abstract

This article presents the results of a qualitative study with industrial engineering students at the National Technological University (Argentina), which aimed to explore their conceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on future employment from a humanistic perspective. The research, conducted in three regional faculties (Buenos Aires, La Plata, and Chubut), identified three predominant views: optimistic, which naturalises technological progress; critical, which warns of the risks of automation; and intermediate, which recognises selective labour transformations. The conceptions vary according to the institutional context, ranging from uncritical to reflective positions, and reflect differences in the degree of conceptual elaboration and critical thinking among students. The results show that technocratic and simplified perspectives prevail in the Buenos Aires Regional Faculty, while in La Plata and Chubut there is greater critical capacity regarding the impacts of AI on employment. From the theoretical framework of endearing technologies, the need to train engineers capable of considering ethical, social and cultural values in the design and use of technology is emphasised. Based on these findings, situated pedagogical strategies are proposed, such as critical analysis workshops, structured debates and socio-technical projects, which articulate reflection and action, favouring a more complex, ethical and contextualised understanding of AI. In summary, the study highlights the urgency of humanising technological development, incorporating principles of social justice and sustainability into professional training, and guiding innovation towards a more just, inclusive and desirable future.