Planet Classroom Launches New Podcast with UN Ambassador Shea Gopaul on the Future of Decent Work

New AI for a Better World episode explores where AI is already improving jobs, what's breaking, and what must happen now to ensure fairness, skills, and opportunity.

As artificial intelligence accelerates across industries, a global question is becoming impossible to ignore: Will AI create opportunity — or deepen inequality?

The Planet Classroom Network, in association with VoiceAmerica, today announced the release of a new podcast episode in its original series AI for a Better World, featuring Ambassador Shea Gopaul, Permanent Representative to the United Nations for the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and one of the world's leading voices on jobs, skills, and decent work.

In " Ambassador Shea Gopaul: AI and the Future of Decent Work ," host C. M. (Cathy) Rubin, Co-Founder and CEO of Planet Classroom, leads a timely and deeply human conversation about how artificial intelligence can deliver visible job gains now — not years from now — while keeping fairness, inclusion, and human rights at the center.

"People want to know where AI can make work better — now, not ten years from now," Rubin said. "This conversation is about real lives, real jobs, and real choices we're making today."

NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A Reality Check the World Can't Ignore

Before optimism, Gopaul insists on honesty.

"Before we get too excited about the technology, we have to look at the reality," she explains. "Between 2.5 and 2.6 billion people — about 35 percent of the world's population — still don't have access to the internet. In many countries, people don't even have reliable electricity."

She also highlights persistent gender and education gaps that shape who benefits from AI — and who does not.

At the same time, Gopaul underscores that AI is already delivering early, practical gains when deployed responsibly.

"We're seeing quick wins," she says. "Especially in administrative tasks, job matching, and skills forecasting. The impact is speed, cost, and coverage — but only if governance keeps pace."

Where Jobs Are Growing — and Why Skills Matter

Rubin steers the conversation toward what families everywhere want to know.

"Which jobs are actually growing — and how do people get access to them?" she asks.

Gopaul points to healthcare, the care economy, and climate-linked work including renewable energy, waste management, and maintenance roles essential to the green transition.

"This is the just transition," she explains. "People already have skills. They're not starting from zero — they need pathways to move forward."

Those pathways, she argues, must evolve faster than traditional systems allow.

"There isn't time for two- or three-year models anymore," Gopaul says. "We're seeing three- to six-month earn-and-learn programs, pooled apprenticeships for small businesses, and stackable credentials that build opportunity over time."

Trust, Guardrails, and the Human Side of AI

As AI enters workplaces, Gopaul emphasizes that trust is essential.

"From design through deployment, there must be clear risk ownership," she says. "Who is accountable? Who has access to information? And are people being told — in simple language — how AI is being used?"

She calls for practical governance frameworks, multi-stakeholder partnerships that include SMEs and workers, and independent third-party audits to protect privacy, fairness, and decent work.

"The human element cannot disappear," Gopaul stresses. "Technology must serve people — not the other way around."

Climate, Skills, and What Happens If We Don't Act

The episode also highlights a major gap in global climate planning.

"Fewer than 40 percent of countries have included skills development in their national climate plans," Gopaul notes. "If you fail to plan, you won't deliver."

She stresses the urgency of scaling green and blue skills, recognizing prior learning for older and migrant workers, and supporting small businesses and the informal economy — which represents nearly 60 percent of global employment.

"If we want sustainability and poverty reduction," she says, "we have to create jobs. You feed a family with a job. Jobs and skills are the bridge to the 2030 goals."

A Clear Call to Action

Rubin closes with a practical message for listeners navigating AI today.

"Start one earn-and-learn pathway. Add one short skills module. Or put one safeguard in place before deploying AI," she says. "Small steps matter — especially right now."

🎧 Listen to " Ambassador Shea Gopaul: AI and the Future of Decent Work ," part of Planet Classroom's AI for a Better World series — available February 17, 2026 on VoiceAmerica and Planet Classroom's official channels.

About the Host: C. M. (Cathy) Rubin

C. M. (Cathy) Rubin is a multimedia producer, journalist, and author covering artificial intelligence, education, and innovation. She is Co-Founder and CEO of the Planet Classroom Network and Founder of CMRubinWorld, where she has published more than 800 interviews with global leaders shaping the future of work and learning.

About Ambassador Shea Gopaul

Ambassador Shea Gopaul is the Permanent Representative to the United Nations for the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and Founder of GAN Global. She co-chairs the UN Business & Industry Major Group and has led global initiatives advancing apprenticeships, skills development, and decent work for a sustainable and inclusive economy.

About VoiceAmerica

VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network is a global leader in live and on-demand talk radio programming. For more than 25 years, VoiceAmerica has produced original audio content that informs, inspires, and connects audiences worldwide. Broadcasting hundreds of programs weekly across multiple channels, the network reaches millions of listeners each month in more than 140 countries.

About Planet Classroom

The Planet Classroom Network, produced by CMRubinWorld, is a global platform uniting creators, youth, and thought leaders to explore today's most urgent challenges. Through original series including AI for a Better World, Net Zero Speaks, and Problem Solvers, Planet Classroom showcases bold ideas in education, sustainability, and innovation — created for and with youth worldwide.

SOURCE Planet Classroom Network