Legislative Alert: May 20, 2024

President's Message

Support the Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence 
Support (S7543A/A9430 & S7623A/A9315A)

The proliferation and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in countless applications and the exponential pace at which it is developing has led to very serious labor concerns that will affect our jobs, economic lives, and privacy. AI can be a valuable tool and it's responsible development and use will be essential moving forward, however it should not be viewed as a replacement for jobs or human decision making. Strong transparency and disclosures on its uses and applications, as well as worker protections, must be enacted to ensure that AI has a positive impact on our economy, not a negative one. We also need to make sure government agencies are setting the tone for responsible use of AI in their own operations to protect workers and people who access government services.

We urge passage of S7543A/A9430, which amends the state technology law to enact the Legislative Oversight of Automated Decision-making in Government Act (LOADinG Act). This will ensure that AI is used responsibly by state agencies as it becomes more prevalent in the delivery of state services and determines eligibility for various government programs. The bill would require legislative approval for the use of AI by the State and ensure that the public is aware of which state agencies are using it and for what purposes. The bill would require monitoring of the acquisition and implementation of AI systems and periodic reviews of those applications. The bill will help ensure that AI is used with proper oversight, accountability, and public input, and that it does not reduce or eliminate jobs or have biased or discriminatory outcomes in any of its uses.

We also urge passage of S7623A/A9315A, the BOT Act to protect workers from employment decisions made by AI by applying common sense regulations on the use of automated employment decision tools. The use of AI by employers to monitor, hire, assign work, evaluate work, discipline workers, and collect worker data has proliferated in recent years. This bill would establish regulations to notify workers about the use of AI decision-making tools, and require that such tools have meaningful human oversight and be continuously monitored and assessed to prevent bias or discrimination in outcomes. The bill would also regulate electronic data collection, require notice to workers about the use of electronic data collection, and provide workers access to the data collected. This bill is necessary to protect workers from bias and exploitation and to ensure that they understand how AI and the data it collects are being used in their workplaces.

Mario Cilento, President

Upcoming Meeting

LABOR LOBBYISTS MEETING 
Monday, May 20, 2024, 1:00 p.m. 
This meeting will be located at the Albany office of the NYS AFL-CIO, 
100 South Swan St. Albany, NY. Lunch will be served. 
Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Chair of the Internet and Technology Committee, and Senator Hoylman-Sigal, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, will be the guest speakers. 
This meeting is for labor representatives only.

TAYLOR LAW & PENSION TASK FORCE MEETING 
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 1:00 p.m. 
This meeting will be located at the Albany office of the NYS AFL-CIO, 
100 South Swan St. Albany, NY. Lunch will be served. 
This meeting is for labor representatives only.