| Microsoft News Center
WASHINGTON — Dec. 11, 2023 — The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and Microsoft Corp. on Monday announced the formation of a new partnership to create an open dialogue to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) must anticipate the needs of workers and include their voices in its development and implementation. This partnership is the first of its kind between a labor organization and a technology company to focus on AI and will deliver on three goals: (1) sharing in-depth information with labor leaders and workers on AI technology trends; (2) incorporating worker perspectives and expertise in the development of AI technology; and (3) helping shape public policy that supports the technology skills and needs of frontline workers.
Building upon the historic neutrality agreement the Communications Workers of America Union (CWA) negotiated with Microsoft covering video game workers at Activision and Zenimax, as well as the labor principles announced by Microsoft in June 2022, the partnership also includes an agreement with Microsoft that provides a neutrality framework for future worker organizing by AFL-CIO affiliate unions. This framework confirms a joint commitment to respect the right of employees to form or join unions, to develop positive and cooperative labor-management relationships, and to negotiate collective bargaining agreements that will support workers in an era of rapid technological change.
“This partnership reflects a recognition of the critical role workers play in the development, deployment and regulation of AI and related technologies,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “The labor movement looks forward to partnering with Microsoft to expand workers’ role in the creation of worker-centered design, workforce training and trustworthy AI practices. Microsoft’s neutrality framework and embrace of workers’ expertise signals that this new era of AI can also catalyze a new era of productive labor-management partnerships.”
“By working directly with labor leaders, we can help ensure that AI serves the country’s workers,” said Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft. “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 partnership will deliver on the following goals:
Both partners acknowledge AI creates a real capacity to enhance workers’ jobs if used to augment work rather than diminish workers’ agency and responsibilities. According to new polling by the AFL-CIO, 70% of workers worry about being replaced by AI. At the same time, a recent Microsoft study of workers found that 70% would delegate as much work as possible to AI to lessen their workloads. To improve work while creating richer possibilities for our lives on the whole, the transition to an AI-assisted future must center workers’ voices. That’s why Microsoft and the AFL-CIO have created this labor-tech partnership — to ensure workers have a voice in the process and that their needs are understood.
About AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) works tirelessly to improve the lives of working people.
We are the democratic, voluntary federation of 60 national and international labor unions that represent 12.5 million working people.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
For more information, press only:
Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]
Isabel Aldunate, AFL-CIO, (202) 262-3628, [email protected]
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