CWA Local Vice President Gives Powerful Testimony in Congressional AI Hearing

Last week, CWA Local 3204 Vice President Tony Barlow testified at an Education and Workforce field hearing in Augusta, Ga., titled “Building an AI-Ready America: How AI is Creating Opportunities Across America’s Workforce.”

Barlow, an outside plant technician for AT&T in Atlanta spoke about the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption if the technology is put in place without proper guardrails to ensure worker safety and job security. Said Barlow, “CWA call center workers nationwide report that AI tools are designed to automate both frontline tasks, like note-taking, and management functions, like scheduling, training, and performance evaluations. In a 2023 survey, nearly 3,000 CWA call center members reported AI tools negatively impact their job quality. Rather than improve their jobs, most workers felt AI tools sped up work, expanded monitoring and discipline linked to surveillance, increased workplace stress, lowered job satisfaction, and did not improve customer service.”

Barlow went on to reference both the “No Robot Bosses Act” and the “Keep Call Centers in America Act.” Both bills are legislative priorities for CWA designed to minimize harm caused by AI to workers and customers.

Click here to watch his full testimony.

 
CWA Local 3204 Vice President Tony Barlow (left) testified about the real-world impacts of artificial intelligence on workers at the Education and Workforce field hearing last week before a panel of representatives, including Congresswoman Lucy McBath (right).