The AI Shift: What should trade unions do about AI?

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Welcome back to The AI Shift, our weekly exploration of how the technology is changing the world of work. This week we’re asking: what are trade unions doing about AI? We sat down for a conversation with Tyler Turner, a millennial union leader who is president of the Office and Professional Employees International Union in the US. The OPEIU traces its roots to the early 20th century, when its progenitor was formed to represent typists, stenographers and other clerical workers. Although relatively small, the OPEIU’s white-collar members today are particularly exposed to AI disruption, which made us curious about what trends the union has been picking up on the ground, and how it’s thinking about its own role.

Sarah: You’re a relatively young union leader, and it seems as if we’re starting to see a youth backlash to AI in the US, with university students booing commencement speakers when they insist that AI is the future. Do you think that’s something real?

Tyler: I think that’s absolutely true and there’s a number of reasons why we’re seeing that. I think this generation in particular is very conscious of both the social contract and what these AI data centres are doing to our environment. The other piece of it is that for people coming into the workforce right now, it’s really, really tough to find a job.

Sarah: It’s still a debate among economists as to whether AI really is leading to the automation of junior roles, or whether it’s just a bad labour market in general. Do you have a sense, from your vantage point, of the extent to which AI is genuinely playing a role?

Tyler: We’re seeing companies use AI as a labour-cutting, cost-saving tool, and we’re seeing employers saying: we’re not going to backfill positions, or we’re going to…