The first bill, the No Robot Bosses Act, would bar employers from relying solely on automated systems like algorithms and machine learning tools in making employment decisions. It would also require employers to train their employees on how to use such systems and ensure employers disclose when they are using them.
“Maybe you’re a delivery driver and your employer’s tracking algorithm determines you’re not performing up to its standards — and then sends you an email to let you know you’ve been fired without any warning or opportunity to speak to a human being,” the summary continues. “In 2023, these scenarios are no longer just imaginary. … Without oversight and safeguards, these ‘robot bosses’ increase the risks of discrimination, unfair disciplinary actions, and dangerous working conditions.
The AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America, National Employment Law Project and the Economic Policy Institute also have endorsed both bills, Casey's office said.Casey, who is up for re-election in a battleground state in 2024, will make a push to include both of these bills in a forthcoming AI package being spearheaded by Schumer, a Casey spokesperson told NBC News.
“We have no choice but to acknowledge that AI’s changes are coming and in many cases are already here,” Schumer said last month in a keynote address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonprofit bipartisan group focused on foreign policy and national security. “We ignore them at our own peril. Many want to ignore AI because it’s so complex. But when it comes to AI, we cannot be ostriches sticking our heads in the sand.