AFL-CIO Launches “Workers First Initiative on AI”

In October, the AFL-CIO unveiled its “Workers First Initiative on AI,” a sweeping effort to place working people at the center of the national conversation about AI and establish strong safeguards to protect jobs, data, and rights as the technology evolves.As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms workplaces, industries, and public services, America’s unions are calling for a worker-centered approach to ensure the technology benefits everyone—not just Big Tech and corporate CEOs.

“AI is on the brink of reshaping our world and economy,” the federation said in announcing the plan. “It’s too important to leave solely in the hands of Big Tech CEOs and billionaires.”

The AFL-CIO’s initiative comes amid growing concern that corporations and public agencies are deploying AI systems without adequate oversight, leading to threats such as worker surveillance, discrimination, and the misuse of personal data. Some systems even exploit creative and professional work to train algorithms that could eventually replace human labor.

To address these risks, the “Workers First Initiative on AI” lays out a blueprint for collaboration between unions, employers, and policymakers—one that ensures AI strengthens, rather than undermines, the rights and livelihoods of working people.

The initiative’s guiding principles call for:

  • Strengthening labor rights and expanding collective bargaining;
  • Preventing harmful uses of AI in the workplace;
  • Protecting copyright and intellectual property;
  • Building a worker-focused system for job training and upskilling;
  • Embedding worker voice in AI research and development;
  • Requiring transparency and accountability in AI applications;
  • Promoting responsible AI use through government procurement; and
  • Safeguarding civil rights and democratic integrity.

Public support for regulation is strong—80% of Americans favor strict government rules on AI safety and data security, even if it slows implementation. But according to the AFL-CIO, the Trump administration’s “AI Action Plan,” released earlier this year, “amounts to a massive giveaway to Big Tech that would harm workers and make us all unsafe.”

In contrast, the federation’s plan includes a state and local AI task force to push for strong safety laws and a national education and mobilization campaign to give workers a real seat at the table.

“It’s time working people are at the center of the conversation on AI,” the AFL-CIO said. “This new initiative will help protect our jobs, our rights, and our freedoms—and secure an AI future that benefits all Americans, not just the wealthy and well-connected.”

Learn more about the AFL-CIO’s “Workers First Initiative on AI” here.