WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are warning that artificial intelligence is already being used to chill union organizing in American workplaces.
During a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing, Ranking Member Mark DeSaulnier rejected claims that concerns about AI surveillance are theoretical. He laid out a growing body of evidence showing employers using digital monitoring, productivity algorithms, and data collection systems in ways that can deter workers from exercising their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.
DeSaulnier said these tools can track behavior minute by minute, suppress wages through automated decision-making, and discourage workers from organizing by creating a constant sense of surveillance. He warned that when employees believe management can see everything, protected activity becomes risky by design.
Federal regulators have echoed those concerns, warning that electronic monitoring and automated management practices can interfere with workers’ legal rights if left unchecked.
The issue now facing Congress is whether labor law will adapt to technology that never sleeps or whether workers will be expected to find ways to organize under constant digital watch.
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