'Employers must not be unreasonably prevented from making decisions about how and when AI is adopted'
Will employers across Australia be obligated to consult their employees prior to artificial intelligence adoption? That's a new measure being proposed by unions.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) announced on Tuesday that it will push for "AI Implementation Agreements" in the upcoming economic roundtable in August.
According to the ACTU, the agreements will compel employers to consult with their staff before new AI technologies can be introduced into workplaces.
The agreements will include guarantees around job security, skills development and retraining, transparency over technology use, genuine privacy, as well as data collection and use protections.
"If an employer does not have an AI Implementation Agreement in place with their workers, that company should not be eligible for government funding, such as research and development incentives or government contracts," said Joseph Mitchell, ACTU assistant secretary, in a statement.
The ACTU's proposed measure comes as some employers, such as Amazon, announce that they are seeing potential workforce cuts amid AI adoption.
In Australia, Telstra Chief Executive Officer Vicki Brady said in May that it is also expecting its workforce "to be smaller" as the company embraces AI.
Mitchell said the ACTU's AI Implementation Agreements will ensure that employers engage in the responsible uptake of the technology.
"Such agreements are sensible and necessary for the successful introduction of AI," Mitchell said. "Workers will be all in, if they know doing so will not cost them their jobs."
Employers oppose AI agreements
But the Australian Industry Group warned that introducing the agreements could further undermine productivity.
"Ultimately, you can't regulate a job into existence, and governments shouldn't try to," said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox in a statement.
"Employers must not be unreasonably prevented from making decisions about how and when AI is adopted. In some cases, worker involvement will be beneficial. In others, it simply isn't feasible, let alone desirable."
Willox also called out the union's move to "weaponise" government procurement practices.
"The idea that Government procurement practices should be weaponised to regulate the adoption of AI is particularly flawed," the chief executive said.
"We certainly shouldn't misuse public money to prop-up businesses that strike union deals over the use of AI. We need to let businesses make decisions about how they run their operations, with as little impediments from Government as possible."
Willox said the upcoming economic roundtable from August 19 to 21 should focus on "tangible ways" to improve productivity.
"Industry will be understandably frustrated if the ACTU's self-interested proposal to seize the reins on AI gets airtime while real issues – like fixing the complexity and unworkability of our workplace laws – are not even part of the discussion," he said.
