Democrats are making an all-out effort to win union bosses’ support for their artificial intelligence agenda as President Biden and his allies in the Senate brainstorm a new policy for the emerging tech’s effect on the economy.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer is convening a private forum with labor leaders Wednesday for lawmakers to scrutinize AI’s potential to disrupt work. The meeting comes on the heels of the New York Democrat including AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler in a congressional closed-door meeting on AI last week.
Mr. Biden included American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten at Monday’s formal signing of his expansive AI executive order. She was similarly on hand at a Senate meeting on AI organized by Mr. Schumer in September with tech leaders such as X’s Elon Musk and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg.
Both union leaders applauded Mr. Biden’s executive actions this week, but their continued support is no guarantee as Congress determines whether and how to regulate AI.
After meeting with Mr. Schumer and other senators last week, Ms. Shuler warned of negative outcomes if unions don’t shape AI development.
“If we fail to involve workers and unions across the entire innovation process, AI will curtail our rights, threaten good jobs and undermine our democracy,” she said in a statement.
Democratic policymakers are eager to include labor leaders’ concerns in their AI agenda.
AI refers to a field of science and engineering that enables machines to complete complex tasks using advanced computing and statistical modeling.
Mr. Biden wants government-imposed guardrails on the powerful tech.
Mr. Biden’s new executive order included overtures to organized labor. The order directed the secretary of labor to study the effects of AI and review ways for unemployment insurance and other federal programs to address AI disruptions to the job market.
Senate Democrats want labor leaders to know they are listening too and that not all AI news is bad.
The Senate Health Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety convened a hearing Tuesday to probe AI ramifications for the workforce. Sen. John Hickenlooper, the panel’s leader, touted the emerging tech’s potential benefits and emphasized his intention to include workers in AI policy deliberations.
“This technology has the potential to positively alter the way that literally all of us work, but I think we have an imperative to do it right to make sure we’re not making missteps as we move so rapidly in this direction,” the Colorado Democrat said. “And I think working together and including workers in that conversation is essential.”
Washington policymakers’ persistent outreach to organized labor comes as AI disrupting work has emerged as a fraught issue at the negotiating table for unions.
Concerns about artificial intelligence have emerged as a major concern for striking actors who look to be nearing a deal with Hollywood studios.
The Screen Actors Guild is worried about the potential for people to use AI to transform and replace its members’ performances, voices and likenesses. SAG-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has called on governments not to create new intellectual property and copyright exemptions for AI makers.
SAG-AFTRA’s executive director is among the labor leaders invited to participate in Mr. Schumer’s AI gathering Wednesday, according to FedScoop, a trade publication covering the government. Other unions represented in the meeting are expected to include National Nurses United, Communication Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.