Microsoft Partners with U.S. Labor Organization to Prioritize Worker Needs in AI Development

New Collaboration Aims to Incorporate Worker Perspectives and Shape Public Policy

Microsoft has joined forces with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) in a groundbreaking partnership to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can better serve the needs of workers. The agreement, announced recently, seeks to foster collaboration between labor leaders and Microsoft to ensure that AI development and implementation takes into account the voices and expertise of workers.

The AFL-CIO, a prominent labor organization, has outlined several goals for the partnership. These include sharing information on AI trends with workers, incorporating worker perspectives in the development of AI, and influencing public policy to support frontline workers' technology skills and needs.

Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, emphasized the company's commitment to ensuring that AI benefits workers. The AFL-CIO President, Liz Shuler, sees Microsoft's acknowledgement of workers' expertise and its neutrality framework as a positive step towards productive labor-management partnerships in the era of AI.

Prior Concerns and the Need for Worker Inclusion in AI Development

Workers in various industries have expressed concerns about the potential impact of AI on their jobs. In the entertainment sector, for example, Hollywood actors recently went on strike to protest against an AI proposal that could have undermined their rights and ownership of their likeness. This partnership between Microsoft and the AFL-CIO aims to address these concerns and ensure that workers are actively involved in shaping AI technology.

Microsoft's Previous Commitment to Worker Rights and AI

This is not the first time Microsoft has collaborated with a labor organization on AI-related issues. In 2022, the company entered into a similar agreement with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) to uphold workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively at Activision Blizzard. Microsoft has also made significant investments in OpenAI, a nonprofit AI firm, and developed its own generative AI platform called Azure.

The Potential Impact of AI on Jobs

The emergence of generative AI has raised concerns about its potential impact on the job market. In a study, IBM estimated that AI could replace around 7800 jobs within the company in the next five years. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and xAI, has even suggested that AI could render the current workforce unnecessary. With this partnership, Microsoft and the AFL-CIO aim to address these concerns and ensure that AI development is conducted in a way that benefits workers.