Microsoft teams with labor unions on dialogue about AI taking jobs
Christopher Hutton
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Microsoft has formed an alliance with a coalition of 60 labor unions to discuss the ramifications of the rise of artificial intelligence for employment.
The Big Tech software giant announced on Monday that it was partnering with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations to provide labor leadership and workers with additional training on AI and mitigating the effects it will have on job markets. The AFL-CIO represents over 12.5 million workers in the U.S. The alliance is the first formal partnership between labor unions and AI developers to navigate the technology’s effects on workers.
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“By working directly with labor leaders, we can help ensure that AI serves the country’s workers,” Brad Smith, vice chairman and president of Microsoft, said in a statement. “This groundbreaking partnership honors the rights of workers, learns from the advice of labor leaders as we develop technology, and helps us provide people with the skills that will become essential in a new AI era.”
The alliance includes a template for “neutrality” terms that will make it easier for unions to form at Microsoft.
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The language is based on the agreement established between Microsoft and game developer Zenimax on Monday. The two organizations concurred on the inclusion of language regulating the use of AI in the workplace. The language included Microsoft’s six previously announced AI principles, including the commitment to ensure AI “treats all people fairly” and “empower everyone and engage people.”
Microsoft has become a leading company in the development of AI in part due to internal projects such as the Bing search engine and a $13 billion investment in ChatGPT developer OpenAI.