As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the global economic landscape, the Central Macedonia Regional Organization of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) is stepping into the public discourse with a high-profile event scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, 2026. The forum, expected to draw significant attention from IT professionals, academics, and students in Thessaloniki, aims to deconstruct the prevailing narrative of technological "neutrality" and highlight the class-based implications of the digital transition.
Technology as a Means of Production: The Class Dimension
For the KKE, AI is not merely a technical advancement but a potent means of production that, under the control of large corporate conglomerates, serves as a tool for intensified exploitation. The analysis to be presented at the Thessaloniki event focuses on the fact that algorithms and Big Data do not develop in a social vacuum. On the contrary, their ownership by monopolistic giants dictates their purpose: maximizing profit through the systematic reduction of labor costs.
Key speakers are expected to elaborate on how automation, instead of leading to shorter working hours and improved quality of life, is being weaponized to enforce flexible labor relations, perpetual teleworking, and increased production intensity. The "digital economy," according to the KKE, is nothing more than a new phase of capitalism where technological superiority is used to suppress wages and bypass collective bargaining agreements.
The Impact on the IT Sector and Local Implications
Thessaloniki, which has been marketed in recent years as a "tech hub" for the Balkans with the arrival of multinational firms, stands at the epicenter of this strategy. The KKE's regional organization argues that these investments are not intended for the benefit of the local community but for the exploitation of a highly skilled and relatively low-cost workforce. The July 14 event will provide a platform for workers in the telecommunications and IT sectors to share their experiences of mounting pressure, strict deadlines, and job insecurity—despite working at the cutting edge of innovation.
- The use of AI for worker surveillance and monitoring in the workplace.
- The devaluation of traditional skills and the threat of mass layoffs due to automation.
- The necessity for union organization against "algorithmic management."
Special emphasis will be placed on the role of education and research in local institutions, such as the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and the University of Macedonia. The KKE criticizes the alignment of university research with corporate interests, which treats students as "disposable material" for software development that will eventually be used against their own class interests.
The KKE Proposal: Technology for Social Needs
The event will go beyond critique, offering the KKE's alternative vision. From a Marxist perspective, AI possesses immense potential to elevate the standard of living, provided that the means of production are socialized. In a centrally and scientifically planned economy, AI could be utilized for:
- Drastically reducing working hours while increasing leisure time.
- Enhancing preventive healthcare and public welfare services.
- Environmental protection and advanced natural disaster forecasting.
- Direct worker participation in decision-making through digital management systems.
"Science and technology are the fruits of human intellect and centuries of collective labor. They do not belong to any corporation; they belong to humanity," is expected to be the central message of the gathering.
This intervention by the KKE comes at a time when the Greek government and the European Union are pushing forward legislative frameworks like the AI Act. According to the party, these regulations primarily protect corporate interests and legitimize mass surveillance. The event on Tuesday is a call to action, urging the working class to ensure that scientific progress does not become a "noose" around their necks, but rather the foundation for a society free from exploitation.
