Michigan labor groups push for AI worker protections

LANSING, Mich. — Leaders of Michigan’s labor movement are calling for safeguards on artificial intelligence technology, with union leaders and lawmakers gathering in Lansing to push for legislation protecting workers from surveillance, harassment, and wage theft by algorithms.
The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States, is backing the measure through its Michigan chapter. The bill is called the RAISE Act — the Responsible AI Security Employees Act.
Speaking at a press conference Monday in Lansing, State Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou said employers are overreaching with AI technology.
“Employers are increasingly using invasive surveillance techniques to monitor everything from how many times an employee goes to the bathroom, to their facial expressions, to how many times they click their mouse per minute,” Tsernoglou said. “Just all sorts of different monitoring techniques for things that have never been monitored before and don’t necessarily relate to whether or not that employee is actually getting their job done.”