Institutional transformations of the labour market under the influence of artificial intelligence

Abstract

The article examines institutional transformations of the Russian labour market under the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Based on the neo-institutional approach, the study analyses changes in employment forms, labour contracts, algorithmic management practices, and the evolving roles of education systems, trade unions, and the state. Artificial intelligence is interpreted as an external institutional shock that accelerates labour market fragmentation and exposes misalignments between emerging digital practices and existing regulatory frameworks. The methodology combines institutional analysis, comparative analysis, and secondary analysis of official statistical and analytical data, including Rosstat indicators on self-employment, OECD AI Observatory materials, and World Economic Forum reports. The empirical results confirm the hypothesis of an institutional vacuum in the Russian labour market, manifested in the rapid expansion of platform and self-employment alongside limited integration of non-standard workers into traditional systems of social protection. From an economic perspective, the findings reveal an asymmetric distribution of effects: while AI adoption reduces transaction costs and increases operational fl ibility for fi ms and digital platforms, it simultaneously intensifies individual employment risks, weakens access to social guarantees, and contributes to labour market fragmentation. In the Russian context, these processes are reinforced by regulatory fragmentation and regional disparities in digital employment. The study concludes that sustainable adaptation of the labour market to AI requires a shift toward proactive institutional design, integrating technological innovation with renewed mechanisms of social protection, lifelong learning, and coordinated labour market regulation to ensure long-term inclusiveness and economic stability.