WASHINGTON — Senator Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania, will introduce two new bills Thursday that focus on artificial intelligence by protecting workers from intrusive workplace surveillance and so-called robot bosses who make business decisions. hiring, according to the legislative text shared for the first time with NBC News.
The bills focus on what Casey believes will be the next frontier in the fight for worker rights as the popularity of AI and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y, rises. , calls on Congress to regulate fast-moving technology before it’s too much. late.
“I think overall everyone here is very focused on providing a strategy to deal with what can only be described as an incredible challenge for the country,” Casey, who sits on the committee that oversees labor issues, told NBC News.
“There are also some opportunities with AI, but the challenge is that I don’t think I have to overdo that.”
No ‘robot bosses’
The first bill, the No Robot Bosses Act, would prohibit employers from relying solely on automated systems like algorithms and machine learning tools to make employment decisions. It would also require employers to train their employees on how to use such systems and make sure employers disclose when they are using them.
The bill would also require employers to provide real-life human oversight over the use of AI in the workplace before an automated system makes an employment-related decision, such as during the hiring process, adding or removing work shifts or firing a worker. based on his performance.
“Systems and software, not humans, increasingly make decisions about who to interview for a job, where and when employees should work, and who gets promoted, disciplined, or even fired from their job,” a project brief from Casey’s office. he explains.
“Maybe you’re a delivery driver and your employer’s tracking algorithm determines you’re not performing up to their standards, and then sends you an email to let you know you’ve been fired without notice or an opportunity to talk. with a human. ”, the summary continues. “In 2023, these scenarios are no longer just imaginary. …Without supervision or guarantees, these ‘robot bosses’ increase the risks of discrimination, unfair discipline and dangerous working conditions”.
workplace surveillance
Casey’s second bill, the Exploitative Workplace Surveillance and Technologies Task Force Act, would create a government body that reviews workplace surveillance and reports to Congress. It would be led by a representative of the Department of Labor and would include officials from the Department of Commerce, the Federal Trade Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and other agencies.
The task force, according to the bill summary, would analyze the effect of workplace surveillance and automated decision systems on employee wages and scheduling, determine the impact on employee organizing efforts, employees and assess how such systems affect historically marginalized populations in the workplace.
So far, Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and John Fetterman, D-Pa., have signed on as co-sponsors of both of Casey’s bills. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, cosponsored the robot boss bill, while Sen. Cory Booker, DN.J., signed the group’s bill of work.
The AFL-CIO, the Communications Workers of America, the National Employment Law Project and the Economic Policy Institute also backed both bills, Casey’s office said.
A major AI package
Casey, who is running for re-election in a battleground state in 2024, will push to include these two bills in an upcoming AI package spearheaded by Schumer, a spokesperson for Casey told NBC News.
In June, Schumer unveiled his sweeping legislative framework for regulating AI, warning that “Congress must join the AI revolution” now or risk losing its only chance to regulate rapidly advancing technology.
The Majority Leader has hosted several briefings for all senators on AI over the summer and announced that he will launch a series of “AI Information Forums” with top AI developers, executives and experts in the fall to build the foundation. of more detailed policy proposals for Congress.
“We have no choice but to recognize that AI changes are coming, and in many cases already here,” Schumer said last month in a keynote address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonpartisan bipartisan group. profit focused on foreign policy and national security. . “We ignore them at our peril. Many want to ignore AI because it is so complex. But when it comes to AI, we can’t be ostriches with their heads in the sand.”
On the other side of the Capitol, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he has focused on educating members of Congress about AI by bringing in guest speakers like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But he warned that too much regulation could stifle innovation and investment in AI.
“I don’t want the government to create an agency to approve whether someone can build on AI. I have seen what the European Union has done that actually their guidelines have taken away capital and people are leaving Europe and investing in AI,” McCarthy told reporters this week.
“I want to see an ability to foster AI here in the United States, but also at the same time protect us from any fears that we may have.”
