NewsGuild-CWA Journalists Win Historic Victory Against AI Misuse

Last week, after months of arbitration, journalists at POLITICO won a decisive victory in the fight against the misuse of artificial intelligence. Approximately 260 journalists at POLITICO and E&E News are represented by the PEN Guild, part of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild (TNG-CWA Local 32035).

The arbitrator ruled that POLITICO management violated two key contract provisions by failing to provide 60 days’ notice to bargain over newly introduced AI tools and by launching new technology to perform tasks without human oversight. The case marks one of the nation’s first major labor-arbitration rulings addressing the impact of AI on journalists’ work, setting an important precedent for the entire U.S. news industry.

“This ruling is a clear affirmation that AI cannot be deployed as a shortcut around union rights, ethical journalism, or human judgment,” said Unit Chair of the PEN Guild Ariel Wittenberg. “This is a win for our members at POLITICO fighting to ensure that AI strengthens our newsroom rather than undermining it.”

News of the win broke just days before the NewsGuild-CWA launched its “News, Not Slop” week of action to protect journalists and the public from AI misinformation. You can find more information on how to support journalists on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Facebook and sign their petition calling for the ethical use of AI in newsrooms.