IFPTE’s Amy Chin-Lai is Panelist at AFL-CIO Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Amy Chin-Lai (left) and panelists including AFT President Randi Weingarten (right).

Southeastern Area Vice President/IFPTE Local 70 President, Amy Chin-Lai, was one of several panelists at the first-ever AFL-CIO Technology Institute’s national policy summit on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on workers.  The event, which was held in Washington, DC on Thursday, brought together over 400 people from the labor movement, business and other stakeholder groups to discuss foundational principles of AI, including advancing labor’s policy, advocacy and collective bargaining strategies to make AI safer and more equitable for workers and their communities.  

Chin-Lai, who participated on a panel alongside AFT President, Randi Weingarten and Microsoft business executives, spoke to the key role that Local 70 members are playing in both the development of AI and the important policy debate happening around its implementation. “The people who are doing the work should define how the tool is used,” Chin-Lai noted, garnering applause from the audience.  "Not all our members are anti-AI," she said, “but all of us are anti-being used as guinea pigs.” Chin-Lai listed four key areas that need to be prioritized as AI’s use at the workplace is discussed: job protections, transparency and opt-out, affirmative opt-in, and collaborative implementation where workers and their unions have a seat at the table.  

Afterwards, President Biggs thanked Chin-Lai for giving a strong and effective voice for workers in the ongoing AI conversation.  “We are fortunate to have bold leaders like Amy who have the expertise and the commitment to speak out and ensure that AI technologies do not only benefit the profit-making interests of technology companies and investors, but truly benefit working families.”  IFPTE Assistant to the Executive Officers, Brian Kildee, also attended the summit. 

See the Tech Institute’s Issue Brief: Without Robust Guardrails, AI Harms Workers.