The Communication Workers of America and ZeniMax Workers United have collaboratively announced today the achievement of a preliminary agreement with the organization that could influence its incorporation of artificial intelligence into its functions, especially as they cement their initial deal with Microsoft subsidiary ZeniMax.
As stated by the union, the agreement is centered on utilizing AI to amplify human creativity and capabilities, ensuring that these tools enhance employee productivity, progression, and contentment while safeguarding workers’ well-being.
According to the terms of the arrangement, ZeniMax is mandated to offer the alliance with advance notice and participate in dialogues upon request whenever AI deployments impact the tasks of union members.
Moreover, the agreement delineates six fundamental “guiding principles” for the utilization of AI in the workplace, requiring that the technology be transparent, responsible, inclusive, and just.
Dylan Burton, a distinguished QA tester and a member of ZeniMax Workers United- CWA, stated, “The implications of AI advancements on our tasks are ambiguous, but we are now more assured that the agreement will protect us as we navigate the potential integration of AI into our operations.”
It is crucial that every employee has a say in determining the influence of AI on their duties and in holding their employers responsible for its outcomes.
In a reciprocal deal for government support of the Activision Blizzard acquisition, which faced scrutiny from various consumer protection and antitrust authorities worldwide, the ZeniMax union was established in January last year. This move was a reaction to the CWA’s approval of a labor neutrality agreement with the parent company Microsoft.
